Dragon Lord's Daughter
by AliceRed1878
Summary: Tatsuhana, Hana to her friends, lived an ordinary life scraping by as a waitress. She wanted to be an artist. Her life was pleasantly ordinary until she gets sucked into a well into another time. People used to say she was born in the wrong century, she just didn't think they meant it quite so literally.
1. Chapter 1

"Hana, we need you at table seven! Haruka came down with the flu. Can you cover for her?"

Tatsuhana, known far and wide simply as Hana, resisted the urge to sigh. Sighing would make it seem that she didn't want to do it, and then her manager would make that sad face she couldn't ignore. Mrs. Nakamura wasn't a bad boss by any means, but she had this super power of snagging waitresses into working extra shifts or covering for other people at the last minute. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't frequently pick on Tatsuhana so often. Customers requested her so many times, it was a wonder they didn't slap her face on the sign outside next to the restaurant's name. Tatsuhana smiled.

"Sure, not a problem!" She answered.

Mrs. Nakamura ran over and hugged her tight around the waist and squeezed. Tatsuhana squeeked at the tiny woman's shocking strength. It was like getting hugged by an anaconda.

"You are just the best ever! That's why you get the good shifts!" Mrs. Nakamura released her. She pressed her finger to her pouty lips, "But don't tell the others that you're the favorite around here."

"It's really not that big of a deal. I could use the extra cash."

"You're not in any trouble are you?" Mrs. Nakamura asked.

Politely shaking her head, "No. I've got bills and, well, being an art student doesn't exactly pay them."

"Why don't you try for something more practical?"

"I've come this far. I might as well finish it. Besides," Tatsuhana laughed nervously, "I'm not very good at anything else."

"Nonsense. You're smart, beautiful, and I've never seen anybody more dishes than you. You're strong enough to be a bouncer, I'll bet."

Tatsuhana tried not to let her wince show. Violence always made her cringe despite the fact that on several occassions she could defend herself quite easily. Being a bouncer might require a bit of violence and that would never settle well with her.

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that."

"At any rate, you just let me know if there's anything I can do for you. Let's get you back to work!" Mrs. Nakamura sent her off with a big smile.

Working as a waitress wasn't the most glamorous job in the world, but it paid the insurmountable bills piling up. Tatsuhana nearly took Mrs. Nakamura's advice and debated on switching majors. Something more practical and one that guaranteed job offers beyond taking food orders and busing tables. She knew she couldn't work at a restaurant for her entire life. Day in and day out, in uniform and out of it. Sweating and toiling to earn minimum wage plus a few meager tips. It wasn't all hard work and her co-workers were really fun to hang around with. Her boss was pretty incredible too. However, it was still monotous work to suffer through every day. She couldn't do for the rest of her life. There had to be something more than this.

Tatsuhana took orders, assigned groups to tables, and cleared the area for the next guests. What customers liked about her the most, so she'd been told, was her alertness and dedication to making sure they had a good time. She wore a smile on her face and it never wavered. Tatsuhana seemingly had boundless energy. She had it by the truck loads, more than enough to spare. Nobody would ever know that all that energy came from never expending it elsewhere. All of that reserved fervor came from an aching heart.

Six months ago, her adopted parents died within days of each other. They were both in their late forties when they found her, so when it was their time to go, they were elderly. She had taken care of them despite going to university and working. It was a small mercy that they could pass away in their sleep, though she wished they could've stuck around a little longer. Just long enough to see her at her twenty-first birthday which was coming up in less than a week. She tried not to think about it; she didn't want people to worry about her. It was bad enough to be an orphan, she didn't want the pity of stranger's to haunt her as well.

Tatsuhana busied herself with clearing dinner plates off a table. Scraps of food, enough to fill up a couple of tupperware dishes, sat there half-eaten. She pouted, not understanding how people could so easily discard a perfectly good meal and not save the rest for later. Honestly, the thought of wasted food made her blood boil. Thousands starved and half the world could feed those people by sacrificing their leftovers. As an art student, she knew that conserving food was her most important task. If she made a batch of rice, she was going to stretch its supply for as long as possible. Those who came in here were often those who were wealthy enough that they could afford not to that. She didn't hate them but still found herself exasperated by the half-eaten food left on their plates.

"Hey!"

Tatsuhana whipped her head around to see one of her female co-workers fighting off a grabby costumer. Judging by the redness of his face and the half-empty bottle on his table, Mr. Can't Keep His Hands To Himself was good and drunk. Her co-worker, Aimi, used her plastic serving tray as a shield to keep the customer at bay. Aimi was small in stature and very shy. Having a grown man twice her size touch her against her will would terrify any woman, but Aimi's situation was made so much worse when none of the costumer's friends seemed too eager to stop his harrassment. They sat there and ignored the situation happening around them even as half the restaurant stopped in the middle of their meal to watch.

Aimi didn't just appear terrified. She was. Her face was scrunched up. Her large eyes looked pitifully at everyone aaround her, silently begging for help. She didn't want to make a scene, although that was already too late. Tatsuhana looked for any of the male wait staff but they seemed preoccupied with helping other people or just weren't there. Setting her serving tray down, Tatsuhana marched herself over.

She grabbed the costumer by the wrist when he tried to grab for Aimi's thigh. He seemed perplexed and half-expected one of the male staff to have stopped him. When he saw Tatsuhana's face, and her very feminine curves, he stopped himself short. He looked her up and down, sizing her up.

"Well, aren't you a c-cutie?" He slurred. "Are _you_ on the dessert menu? Because if you are, I'd eat you..."

Tatsuhana didn't let him finish that train of thought. She hauled him out of his seat, tugging at his wrist until he stumbled out of the booth. He and his friends protested but she already started to pull him towards the nearest exit. When he put up too much of a fuss, Tatsuhana pulled his arm behind his back and twisted. She leaned towards his ear, cringing at the smell of him. His fetid breath nearly made her gag.

"You may leave with what's left of your dignity through the front door or I can take you out back and put you with the rest of the trash. Which do you prefer, _sir_?"

Grunting, he tried kicking his way out of his situation. He either already had poor aim or was too drunk to do anything useful. Tatsuhana decided for him. The customer kicked and hollered and swore his way through the restaurant. She felt nothing for this sorry excuse of a person. There were eyes on them every step of the way. His companions had lept from their seats to try and stop her but by this time, the staff had already directed them to the front where they could pay for their meal. The only embarrassment she felt was for restaurant's good name and for Aimi who had deal with this piece of trash. Another co-worker happily opened the door to the back for her. The customer was pushed out through the door. Swaying, he spun and tried to go back through the doorway only to have the heavy door slammed shut in his face. Tatsuhana dusted off her hands and nodded to herself.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish." She heard her co-worker laugh.

Everything died down after the incident. Aimi was allowed a few minutes to herself in the break room to keep her from having a melt down. Mrs. Nakamura made sure was comfortable and felt safe before dealing out damage control. She waited until the end of the shift to pull Tatsuhana aside. With the manager's office door closed, she had Tatsuhana sit down.

"How'd you like a vacation?"

Tatsuhana blinked. She expected something a bit more...not that.

"Excuse me?" She wondered aloud.

"I think you deserved it. You work late. You come in when we need a shift covered. The customers love you. You deserve a little break. Pick a day," Mrs. Nakamura pulled out a calender and handed it to her.

Tatsuhana glanced from the caldender to Mrs. Nakamura and then back to the calender. Her birthday landed on a Friday, the busiest day of the week. She grabbed a pen but hesitated to circle it.

"Is there something wrong?" Asked Mrs. Nakamura.

Shaking her head, "No. Nothing really, it's just that...I was wondering if it'd be alright for me to take next Friday off, on account of my birthday?"

"Absolutely!" Mrs. Nakamura beamed. "You've deserved it. You take that day off. My treat. I think we'll be able to manage for one night without you."

"A-are you sure?" Tatsuhana nervously asked.

Mrs. Nakamura smiled. It couldn't grow any bigger even if she tried. "You managed an unruly customer without resorting to much violence. You can pick any day you want. If you want your birthday off, take it before I change my mind."

Tatsuhana circled the date and handed the calender back to her manager.

"I'll see you tomorrow at lunch, right?"

Tatsuhana nodded. "Barring a traffic jam between here and the school."

"See you then!"

Tatsuhana clocked out just in time. Aimi waited for her by the restaurant's front door.

"H-Hana, I just want to say...thank you...for helping back there. I didn't know what to do. I was so scared. Thank you, from the the bottom of my heart." The poor girl bowed from the waist as if Tatsuhana deserved such an honor.

"Really, Aimi, it's not a big deal. You shouldn't than me for doing something that was the right thing to do in the first place." She talked the girl into standing up straight. "Can you walk home from here? I don't mind going with you."

"No thanks, my boyfriend should be here any minute." Not long after she said that, an old blue Honda pulled onto the side of the street. Aimi slid into the passenger seat, rolling down the window after she shut the door. "Thanks again, Hana! See you on my next shift!"

They waved at each other until the blue Honda disappeared entirely around the corner. Tatsuhana unlocked the bike that had been sitting untouched off to the side of the restaurant. She had changed from her uniform skirt to a pair of proper bicycle shorts and leggings. She layered up because she had a feeling that tonight would be chilly. She put on her helmet, adjusted her clip-on flashlights, and checked her reflectors before hopping into the seat. Mrs. Nakamura waved her off as she pedaled her way home.

Her evening trek took her past a shrine, the Higurashi Shrine to be exact. Whenever she rode past this shrine, Tatsuhana found herself slowing down or pausing just to get a good look at it. With the city lights glowing all around it, the shrine itself seemed to a piece of the history carved out of time and sat untouched. Perhaps the fact that it seemed set so far off from modern Tokyo that attracted her attention. At least, that's what she told herself. She couldn't help but feel strangely in awe of the simple yet well-kept shrine. She was drawn to it and couldn't think of a reason why. She wasn't a particularly religious person nor had she visited the shrine itself. Always at a distance.

She paused briefly to look at the shrine whose lights were dimmed as if the grounds were sleeping. Tatsuhana quickly sped along on her bike wanting to get home before it got too late. Her apartment was a small, cramped space decorated with family mementos and drawings done by her own hand. Portraits of her parents graced the walls. Their memorial shrine was a simple affair. A wooden box no bigger than shelf with a picture of them together with a tea light and some silk flowers in elegant bottles to make it look pretty. Not much could be spared for incense, so Tatsuhana used a little cone every now and then. Closing the door behind her, she removed her shoes by the door and discarded her bag on the hook on the wall.

Her first order of business was to take a shower and wash off the day's business from her skin. She changed into a comfortable pair of cotton pajama bottoms and a silken tank top. Braiding her hair, she climbed into bed. Slipping under the covers, she tossed and turned a little while before sitting up in bed. The lamp on her bedside table flickered on.

By her bed sat a large sketch book and some pencils. Tatsuhana grabbed these and started flipping through the pages. Some were sketches of things she saw in her room, a study of her lamp or her door. Some were things she drew at work. Mrs. Nakamura had a least two portraits done in here. There were some of her co-workers. She drew pictures of trees, flowers, city landscapes. They were all pretty typical things an artist would draw.

As she flipped through the pages trying to find a blank spot, her eyes glanced over some of her not-so-typical art. Fantasy work, that's what she prized. Re-imaginings of feudal pieces, demons and spirits, that sort of thing. With her fantasy work, there was a recurring theme. A face, a man's face, she kept picturing in her mind's eye. She would wake up at night from strange dreams and see him there as if he stood in the middle of her bedroom. Tatsuhana pictured him as clearly in her head as she could see herself in the reflection in the mirror.

It wasn't just his face she saw. Sometimes she saw a _whole_ lot more than just his face. This figure, whoever or whatever he was, had a lean, muscular form. He was so beautiful in her dreams, Tatsuhana thought he was actually a woman for the longest time. High cheek bones, long white hair, and an almost feminine face, it was hard for her to comes to terms that he was, in fact, male. She remembered being very shocked when she drew his picture with a masculine body draped in nothing but loose robes and furs. Tatsuhana blushed at what she drew, hardly remembering when she did it. There were times she'd wake up sprawled on her bed with a pencil and her sketch pad in hand not knowing why or when she starting drawing in the middle of the night. Whoever this man might have been, she had the niggling feeling that he held some of the answers.

Finally finding a blank page, Tatsuhana set to work on a new idea. She could see it in her head. The composition took shape her mind and was translated onto the page. She worked on it for a good hour and a half before putting her stuff away. She climbed back under the covers for well deserved sleep.

School went by as usual as did work. Tatsuhana only had a four hour lunch shift but was dead tired by the end of it. She dreaded the ride home with her legs aching and feet barking. Tatsuhana got on her bike nevertheless. Once more, she found herself pausing in front of the Higurashi Shrine. She stood across the street from it but needed to get closer. Crossing the street, Tatsuhana left her bike outside the gate.

In the wash basin by the entrance, she washed her hands and mouth before entering the grounds proper. There was a bench off to one side of the courtyard, possibly for meditation purposes or rest. She sat down and pulled out her other sketch book that she rarely left the house without. A lonely well stood beneath a four-post roof much like a gazebo. Staining its gray stones with vibrant green, moss and ivy vines climbed around its walls and inside its mouth. Three little steps led up to the well. Paper streamers decorated the well's shrine on all sides. Tatsuhana envisioned a scene taking place here, not so long ago. She normally would chalk it up to her overactive imagination, but the scene was too vivid for her _not_ to put it on paper. Setting to work, she grabbed a few pencils from their case and flipped to the first blank page.

The sun had been dying behind the cityscape when she paused to look at what had taken up so much of her afternoon. It wasn't a realistic portrait, nothing that would have been taken seriously. A ghostly centipede monster climbed out of the very same well she stared at all afternoon. Drawings like this always confused and scared Tatsuhana. She had no idea where such an idea came from. Certainly not from her imagination. She hated violence, and bugs even more. The more she stared at her drawing, the more concerned she became. Why would she draw such a thing?

"Can I help you with something?"

Tatsuhana jumped out of her seat. The woman had walked up to her barely made a sound. Tatsuhana looked at the person she assumed was the caretaker of the shrine.

"Sorry, sorry," Tatsuhana bowed sharply from the wiast. "I didn't mean to disturb anything. I-I just wanted something interesting to doodle. I hope I wasn't be disrespectful."

The caretaker bent over to pick the discarded sketchbook Tatsuhana threw to the ground. She hadn't realized that she knocked it over until the caretaker picked it off the ground and shook off the dust. Luckily, the page hadn't smudged. She glanced at the picture Tatsuhana had been working on. Her eyes flashed with recognition but nothing more on the matter. A small smile graced her lips as she closed the sketchbook and handed it over to Tatsuhana.

"Please. Come back any time. You're more than welcome."

Tatsuhana packed her stuff up and hurried back to her bike. Madly, she peddled her way home. Visiting the shrine was a mistake, she ranted to herself the whole way to her apartment. The caretaker took one look at her drawing and thought she was one of those weird horror manga artists. Because what else could that woman think? However, the more Tatsuhana thought about it, the look on the caretaker's face didn't appear disgusted or insulted. No, there was a deeper emotion than that. The light that had been in her eyes briefly wasn't that of horror, but of recognition. It seemed as though she remembered something. She hadn't said anything to Tatsuhana because perhaps the memory was too painful.

But the drawing Tatsuhana made was something out of horror story. Wasn't it? Monsters and demons weren't real. What kind of memories reawakened by a picture of giant centipede monster?

Shaking her head, Tatsuhana peddled her way home. She tried not to think about what it could all mean. Inside the safety of her apartment, she was safe. She could distract herself by prepping dinner and watching T.V. There was no need to think too hard on the events of the day. Yes, that's what she would do. She would eat, enjoy some mindless activity, shower, and go to bed. She would not think about anything else except her day at school tomorrow. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

" _Hana, Hana!"_

 _Tatsuhana lifted her head from the book she was reading. Her school friend Maiko ran across the room to greet her._

" _Good morning to you too," she giggled._

 _Maiko's face was shocked. There was something on her mind that she wanted to say. "How'd you do it?"_

 _Tatsuhana's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"_

" _Come with me!"_

 _Before she could protest, Maiko grabbed Tatsuhana's wrist and dragged her out of her desk chair. Maiko pulled her into the hallway, dragged her past a couple of classrooms, and they came to an abrupt stop in front of the board where all the grades were posted. Maiko pointed to the sheet displaying all of the scores from the recent history exam. She pointed to the name at the very top of the list._

" _Explain that!"_

" _So I passed a test. Big deal." Tatsuhana shrugged her shoulders. She didn't understand why Maiko would be so shocked over a high test score. It wasn't as if Tatsuhana failed in her classes._

" _This is the test from Mr. Kaguwa's history exam! You got a perfect score!"_

" _And?"_

" _Nobody,_ nobody _gets a perfect score on Kaguwa's tests. They're super hard. All of the upper classmen can verify that nobody's been able to pass his tests with a perfect score."_

" _I think you're overreacting," said Tatsuhana. "I studied and got a really good test score. You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. I studied and I liked the subject we were going over. Is it really such a big deal that I got a good grade?"_

" _Well," Maiko paused to think, "You do really like reading about all that feudal era stuff, don't you. I guess when you put it that way, how could you_ not _get a good grade on a test?"_

 _Maiko looped her arm around Tatsuhana's and they walked back to the classroom._

" _I guess I really did overreact. I was just so surprised at first."_

 _Tatsuhana shrugged again. "To be honest, I really didn't study that much. I just knew some of the stuff we went over. I just…really like that time period I guess."_

" _Sometimes I think you were born in the wrong century, Hana." Maiko giggled. "Not that it's a bad thing."_

 _Tatsuhana was about to turn to Maiko when she felt the girl's arm slip away from her. The spot where Maiko should have been was filled with a dark shadow. As a matter of fact, the whole of the classroom and everything in it was consumed by a thick blackness. Tatsuhana turned and face the darkness surrounding her on all sides. A freezing chill ran down her spine as she stared into the shadows. Shivers ran down her spine. She held her arms tight to her chest. With every breath and every step, it seemed as though thousands were watching her. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin with the realization that the shadows stared back._

 _The world around her became a tunnel from which all light was sucked away. She strained her eyes in search of some speck that would grant her hope. Anything to save her from the cloying shadows threatening to choke her. She turned and sprinted through the shadows. She could feel those shadows spring to life and form clammy hands. They reached out to her and pulled at her hair and clothes. Tatsuhana ran and ran. Still, she could not get away. Hands seized her ankles. More hands grabbed her limbs. The shadows pulled her down, down, down._

 _Her stomach forced its way into her throat as if she were falling from a roller coaster ride. Freezing hands reached for her throat. The pressure made her gag. Tatsuhana tried to resist. She tried fighting but all her limbs were as dead weight to her. She couldn't so much a wriggle her fingers without the shadow-hands clenching her fingers tight in their grasp._

 _As she thought she was going to die, a burst of blue light erupted below her. Tatsuhana yelped at the sudden brightness. The shadows dispersed, allowing her to shield her eyes. A deafening roar pierced her ears. Just as she thought her brain might split inside her skull, Tatsuhana heard voices calling her. A man and a woman. She opened her eyes long enough to see the vague shape of a couple holding their hands out to her. They wore strange yet old fashioned clothes. A woman in red stood beside a man in silver, black and blue robes underneath a samurai's armor. Though she couldn't make out their faces, she couldn't help but feel she somehow knew them. Slowly, Tatsuhana reached out her hand towards them._

Tatsuhana bolted in bed. Sweat gleamed off her brow in the pale moonlight slipping through the crack in her curtain. She panted for breath. Eyes wide open, she glanced around her room. The only shadows there were created by the reflecting light from the moon and the city lights peering through her window.

"Just a dream," she told herself before climbing back under the safety of her blankets.

Tatsuhana repeated this mantra over and over again until she felt her eyes grow heavy. She slipped back into sleep, and thankfully this time there were no more dreams of shadow-hands and strangers who knew her name.

* * *

Tucked away beneath a mountain, a grand shrine cut away from the rock secured the last treasure of a great lord. A palace made from the mountain's very core assured that this treasure would be guarded from unworthy eyes. Two men dressed in garish robes and solid armor pressed their way up the flight of stairs into the shrine's inner sanctuary. Scrolls hung around the circular walls depicting those who have gone before. These scrolls depicted scenes of warriors challenging powerful dragons, but it wasn't the dull human creatures that were venerated here. All the veneration went to the dragons nobly depicted with brilliant hues of blue, black, and silver. Their names printed with as much care as the humans paid to their shogun.

Shide, the lightning-shaped paper talismans commonly found in shrines, lines the inner walls. In the very middle of the sanctuary, a rock sat untouched by the hands of craftsmen. Wrapped around it were more shide talismans tied to thick ropes. At the top of this rock, the shaft of a spear protruded from the ground as if struck from the heavens and embedded itself deep in the earth. The paper talismans rustled at the men's presence, or perhaps by something else.

They could taste it in the air. The energy within the shrine was building; it had been growing for some time. For years it had been stagnant to the point that they thought their purpose had been meaningless. In the last couple of years, the energy in the shrine steadily grew in strength. Within the last few months, it had increased to the point where none of them could ignore it. The shaft of the spear emitted a spiritual power that drew these brothers to inspect it for themselves.

"You feel it too, don't you, Daisuke?"

The elder brother nodded.

"Do you think it will be long now? Lord Noburu's spear has been silent for all these years. For it to be awakening now, it must mean something, right?"

"I doubt we'll be left waiting for much longer. Lord Noburu's true heir will return home shortly. We should make sure that everything is in order for her arrival," said Daisuke.

"How much longer?"

Daisuke sighed, annoyed. "You're too impatient, Hikaru. She'll arrive when the moment is right. Judging by the energy the spear is pouring out, it won't be too much longer. I suspect that she will return within a month."

"A-a month! That's not nearly enough time to get everything prepared!" Hikaru stammered.

The mental preparation was difficult enough to imagine without worrying about the physical work to put towards making Lord Noburu's only daughter welcome in her true home. There was still so much to do. The daunting task of preparing the whole household for her terrified him. Hikaru pulled himself together just long enough to start a mental list of all the things to do.

"It won't turn out so bad if you didn't panic, brother. We'll take care of everything in due time. Don't worry yourself."

"But what if she doesn't approve?"

"If she's anything like her father, she won't mind. All we must do is make sure she's comfortable in her own home. Until then, we wait. We've waited five hundred years for a sign, what's a little longer, eh?"


	2. Chapter 2

Her week steadily grew more bizarre. Tatsuhana was mistaken if she thought she could put behind her strange occurrences at shrines or even stranger dreams that woke her in the middle of the night. She was mistaken in that she could forget it all happened. It began the morning after her dream where her subconscious first drew her into an old high school memory then turned it into a nightmare. The day started as it normally did. Tatsuhana woke up, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and noticed something tingly on the back of her neck.

With the help of long hair and collared shirts, most wouldn't suspect that she bore a peculiar birthmark. On the back, close to where the neck met the shoulder, Tatsuhana bore the mark of a serpentine creature. Doctors noticed it on her first visit. They and the Children's Protective Services suspected it was the stamp of a illegal sex trafficking gang, but their research was refuted by their own research. No such trafficking organization used the mark on the back of Tatsuhana's neck as a trademark. Furthermore, upon closer examination, the mark turned out to be a true birthmark. And oddly shaped one, but a birthmark nevertheless. And for the last thirteen years, it had never caused her concern. That is until she felt the birthmark tingle almost painfully that morning. It felt like someone had inserted needles into her skin, piercing through her birthmark.

However, that wasn't the strangest thing. Tatsuhana ignored the prickling sensation on the back of her neck in order to get ready. No work today but she had plenty of classes. She got dressed, gathered her supplies, and locked up the apartment. She pedaled her way to school and it seemed just like any other day. She came to a cross walk in the middle of busy morning traffic. The sidewalks were already packed with high schoolers, college students, and business workers. Being Tokyo, a fair amount of tourists flocked the streets. Some begging for directions.

Tatsuhana rode down the painted bike path until she had to switch directions suddenly. Her usual path to the university was blocked due to some maintenance work on a building's sewage system. Huffing, she redirected her bike. Grumbling about being late, she rode past a couple who looked irrevocably lost. They held out a map in front of them but their confusion wasn't helped by the countless bystanders who refused to help. Of course, even if they wanted to, it wouldn't be any good. The couple in question couldn't speak Japanese. Tatsuhana considered herself to be a good person; she was raised by people who taught her the value of kindness. On the other hand, there were times when her kindness proved to be one of her faults. She hauled her bike at once, skidding the rubber tires on the concrete sidewalk. Tatsuhana looked over at the couple hopelessly lost. Sighing, she turned back around to see what she could do.

The tourists argue back and forth as they turned the map around.

" _I'm telling you, we should have taken the_ second _street past the ramen shop, but you didn't listen, did you?"_ The man chided. The tourists wore matching rings, most likely husband and wife.

" _I didn't see it. You're the one who's supposed to help with directions. You said you did a lot of research planning this trip. Why didn't you just ask for tour guide?"_

"Excuse me?" Tatsuhana pulled up beside them. "Do you need help finding something?"

The husband pulled out a picture of a historical monument of a samurai warrior. Frustrated, he explained that they were supposed to meet a friend there at the statue. Tatsuhana immediately recognized it as one she sketched some years ago for an art project.

"May I see your map?"

The couple nodded and let her see it for herself. Tatsuhana flipped the map over until she could find the spot where they stood. The statue they were looking for lay in one of the parks in Tokyo.

"It's going to be a bit of a walk, but if you take the street over there," she pointed to the one a couple blocks away, "You should be able to cut across to the bus stop. It'll take about fifteen minutes or so. Just keep an ear out for Sakurako Park."

" _Thank you so much!"_ The tourist couple gave her multiple thanks. They were much more amiable to each other now.

Tatsuhana smiled softly and turned her bike around. The tourists were still within ear-shot of her.

" _Thank goodness someone in Japan knows Chinese! I thought we would have to call Jin Liu for help,"_ the wife sighed with relief.

Tatsuhana stopped in her tracks. Chinese? She was speaking Chinese? How could that be possible? She never learned how to speak anything other than Japanese with a little smattering of English. Neither did she have any contact with someone who was Chinese. Furrowing brows, she wondered where she could have learned it from if she truly did just use Chinese. She turned back around to ask the couple if they actually heard her use their language, but by then they had already crossed the street and then vanished in the swarm of humans.

The tingling on the back of her neck came back with vengeance. The light prickles became stinging pinpricks. Tatsuhana skipped her classes and headed straight for the university library. There was something far more important than mastering the art of perspective in her drawing class or learning art history. Parking and locking up her bike outside the entrance, Tatsuhana headed straight for the librarian sitting behind the help desk.

"How can I help you?" The librarian beamed at her.

Normally, Tatsuhana would respond with the same courtesy but these were not normal circumstances. She spoke Chinese without ever learning it. There was something she could do to prove that it happened.

"Do you have any Chinese books?" She asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Do you mean books _on_ China?"

Tatsuhana shook her head, "No, Chinese books. Books _in_ Chinese?"

The librarian turned to her computer. Her delicate fingers tapped away at her keyboard. Her eyes glanced through the short list of articles.

"Looks like we might have something of your interests. If you'll follow me." She stood up from her office chair.

Tatsuhana followed her through through several colonnades of book shelves. She followed the librarian up to the second level. The smell of musty pages and old-fashioned leather bindings filled her nose. She had very little reason to go up to the second level. Typically her class assignments were more hands-on than having anything to do with literal research. Judging by the smell and the thin layer of dust on the shelves, these books did not see much use. Tatsuhana tried not to sneeze as the dust tickled her nose. The librarian pulled a rather thin volume from a shadowy corner.

The volume she pulled couldn't have more than a hundred pages. Its front cover looked worn and its bindings faded and brown. It was an unusual binding technique. While the other books that Tatsuhana saw lining the shelves, thus far, this one had a traditional stitch binding. Tatsuhana had only seen it a few times before, but only with really, _really_ old books. She saw very few of them with this kind of technique used to hold the pages together. The librarian passed it along to her, possibly unaware of just how old the volume must be. Tatsuhana took it carefully and flipped it open as it the pages would turn to dust in her hands.

Her eyes darted up and down the pages written not in Japanese kanji, but in Chinese. And she understood every word of it. She faintly heard the librarian slip away. Tatsuhana couldn't understand why or how this was happening. Her foster parents had told her someone strange woman had suddenly dumped her in their laps. They claimed it was a Chinese woman, but she had no recollection. Not a name; she couldn't even remember a face. There was no rhyme or reason to know these things.

Tatsuhana walked over to the furthest wall, the shadowy back corner where she could hide. She slumped down. Propping her arm on her knee, she tried not to think. She didn't want to think at all. So many, too many questions were forming in her head and she had the answers to none of them. She could understand the possibility of being half Chinese, but to now how to speak it so fluently without having any memory of her past couldn't be possible. Could it?

The night her foster parents found her was the first thing she remembered. It was raining. A thunder storm raged around her yet she wasn't afraid of it. The roaring claps of thunder and sparks of lightning tearing through the sky was oddly comforting. The smell of rain calmed her; it gave her a sense of nostalgia. Now every time it rained, it felt like someone was calling her. Pitter-patter of rain on a windowsill was like someone whispering the secrets of her past.

Tatsuhana had two parents who loved her dearly. That is all she needed to know. What was she to do now with them gone? Salty tears bubbled in the corner of her eyes and she let them fall. They trickled down her cheeks. They left her without anymore clues. She didn't have any memory of the people who brought her into this world, and now _this_. Perhaps she did know Chinese at one point, but how then couldn't she remember learning it? Where did she come from? Who were her biological parents? All of this a few days short of her twenty-first birthday. She missed them, the couple who raised her. She missed them so much and even more so now because they might have been the last link between her and the woman who abandoned her. If she could just remember...

Another librarian found her sobbing on the floor. Tatsuhana quickly cleaned herself up, wiping her tears with her shirt sleeve and putting the book back on the shelf. She brushed past the librarian with a mumbled apology for disturbing anyone and rushed down the flight of stairs. Outside, she climbed on her bike and started for home. She wouldn't stop for anything or anyone until she slammed the door shut behind her. Her belongings were dumped unceremoniously by the door. She ate a meager batch of rice because she had no room in her stomach for anything else. For almost an hour, she sat in front of her foster parents' memorial shrine, praying that maybe they'd send some clue from the Great Beyond. It felt like a crushing blow when Tatsuhana slept a dreamless sleep.

Trepidation weighed down her spirit as she stared at the ceiling that night. She was never one to worry so much about the future or the past. Finding this hidden talent opened the floodgate of mysteries she hadn't known existed. For once, she wondered about what had happened to the woman who abandoned her. All of her life, from what Tatsuhana could remember, the people she needed most were already there. She didn't need to seek the approval or acknowledgment of someone who left her to strangers. No matter how kind they turned out to be, she wondered how desperate her birth mother had been to leave her here. Had she been a victim of a trafficking ring? A con artist looking for some poor sucker? Tatsuhana couldn't explain it but, somehow, deep in her heart she believed neither of those things were the answer.

* * *

"Hana!"

Tatsuhana worked the evening shift again the next day. She was clearing up a table when she felt a pair of feminine arms wrap around and pull her into a tight hug. Maiko Tatsuki had remarkable timing.

"Maiko, w-what are you doing here?" Tatsuhana hugged her friend back. They hadn't seen much of each other ever since Maiko went off to become a lawyer. It shouldn't have come much as a shock that a law student and art student wouldn't have much in common.

"I heard you worked here so I'd thought I stop by to see you!" Maiko released her after giving a few more squeezes.

"It's been a while. How's it been?" Tatsuhana went back to clearing the table of its dirty plates, glasses and utensils. She tried not to make a sour face at the half-eaten chicken breast that somebody left behind. There was more than enough for a doggy bag.

"Same old, same old. Law school might just kill me one of these days. If not for my dad, I wouldn't even consider it. Luckily, I'm almost done. Just a little while longer and I'll be able to take the bar exam."

"What are you going to do after that?"

"Join the family firm, I guess," Maiko shrugged.

"You don't seem too thrilled about your prospects."

"Eh," sighed Maiko, "Being a lawyer is super lucrative and all but it's not something I'd recommend as a career choice. Sometimes I wish I was more like you and became an artist, followed my passion."

"I live off a minimum wage job and eat rice and ramen every week at home. I'm not exactly rolling in dough right now," said Tatsuhana with a small chuckle. If she were honest with herself, there were days when she wished she was more like Maiko. Practical, dependable, had a good head on her shoulders instead of one in the clouds.

"Well, have you tried sending your work to any galleries? Or what about going into manga? You still read those, right?"

Tatsuhana nodded, "Occasionally. When I have the money."

"I know!" Maiko clapped her hands excitedly. "Why don't you enter a couple of contests! You could win some serious prize money _and_ get your name out there! Just think of it."

Tatsuhana wanted to be an artist, she just wasn't sure if she had the confidence to put herself out there. "I'm so busy with work and school. I'm not sure when I'd be able to find the time to enter any contest."

"Oh my god," Maiko groaned, "You need to be more confident with your work! You're amazing. Why can't you see that you're so freaking talented?"

Tatsuhana sighed. Her friend did have a point, but that was perhaps every artist's fault. They can't believe in their own work. Time and time again, she was reminded that she could be so much more than a waitress. There was that missing spark she chased after that would make it all worthwhile.

"But speaking of art, do you still draw pictures of that mystery man?"

"Huh?"

Maiko chuckled. "You know the one. The tall, lean fellow you'd draw all over your notebooks? The one with the pretty face and long hair?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Tatsuhana looking away.

Warmth spread across her cheeks. Of course, she still drew that character. Maiko didn't need to know that.

"Oh, ho, ho, you do, don't you?"

"Listen, Maiko—"

"Alright, alright, I'll leave it alone. For now," she wiggled her brows. "Did you ever find out who he was though?"

Tatsuhana shook her head.

"Oh well. Maybe some day...Anyways, since I was in town, I was wondering if you'd like to get a drink with me sometime? Catch up, gossip."

"My birthday's coming up, we can hang out then. I have the Friday off coming up."

"That's great! We can meet over at that new bar down the street. Here's my number!" Maiko scribbled on a napkin with a pen she 'borrowed' from Tatsuhana's apron pocket. "Text me later!"

She rushed out like she had more important business to attend to. Tatsuhana slipped the napkin in the breast pocket of her shirt for safe-keeping. When she arrived home, she sent Maiko a message about the location and they settled on a time before she settled into bed. Seeing Maiko again helped forget her worries though they plagued her still. Tatsuhana slept with a light dimmed down in her bedroom to keep the shadows at bay. She didn't trust herself to sleep in darkness anymore. After laying awake for a couple hours, eventually she nodded off, waiting for dawn when the shadows seemed less threatening.

* * *

A wind rustled the trees. The tall grasses parted as two figures marched up hill. White tresses was whipped to and fro in the wind, though he seemed unfazed by the turbulent wind. Something tasted different. The air smelled and tasted different. He could sense it in the wind. Carried through the unseen waves, a strange energy kept building and building. Much like the atmosphere charging with power moments before a storm, he sensed it coursing through the wind.

Not far behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

He did not stop in his tracks. His keen senses smelled the stranger trailing him not far behind him. It was the scent of a young dragon, younger than even his wretched half-brother. What he hadn't expected was to be greeted by a young _female_ who as far as appearances were concerned didn't look physically much older than Ren. In human years, this child appeared twelve years of age. By the smell of her, she was much older than that. However, her kind did not age quickly, especially compared to even other demons.

She tramped up hill chasing after him. The lightweight armor on top of her elaborate robes and hakama were clearly too much for her poorly trained body. Sesshomaru glanced behind him at the child climbing the hill. He recognized the colors of her familiar kimono and the crest she bore on the chest plate; he remembered them from a clan he knew long ago.

"Who are you?" He asked, finally stopping at the crest of the hill.

The child panted for breath as she bent over her, clutching her knees. "My name...is Haru. I've come bearing a message from my brother, Daisuke, son of Daigo, vassal of the late Lord Noburu."

"Lord Noburu has been dead for centuries, child! What message could the son of a vassal to a dead lord be of any import to the great Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken chided. His passion was clearly misplaced as Sesshomaru glared at him.

"What message do you deliver?"

"Lord Noburu's only child is expected to return within the next month. Before the next full moon if the astrologists are correct."

"And you put your faith in old men who dream too much beneath the stars?"

"I thought you of all people would..."

"Then you do not know this one at all." He shot the child a cold glare. "You aren't even old enough to remember Lord Noburu. I doubt you were even a twinkle in your father's eye when Lord Noburu was still alive. How would you know my feelings to know his daughter returns?"

Blushing furiously and stamping her foot in the grass, she retorted in the most child-like voice meant to be commanding. She was a runt of a demon, worse than any Sesshomaru had seen in his long life. Just barely more tolerable than that fox-child that wretched half-bred let tag along on his misadventures.

"I'll have you know that I've studied Lord Noburu's life in the minutest detail! I know how he would have preferred his tea, how he fought. The battles he won. The demons he conquered and devoured to add to his own glorious power. How he turned the tides when those arrogant demons from across the sea tried to claim this land for their own! How dare you suggest that just because I didn't get to know him while he was alive that I'm ignorant!"

Sesshomaru snorted. He felt the urge to snicker at her tantrum, then quickly shoved it back down where it belonged.

"And if you knew anything at all about Lord Noburu, you would know better than to insult those so-called 'demons from across the seas.' If you knew anything at all, you would know that his wife was, in fact, Chinese."

The demon-child gaped. At last, he managed to shut her up.

"Milord," Jaken piped up, "Is...is this true? That the great dragon Lord Noburu married a...Chinese demon?"

" _That_ would be none of your concern, Jaken." Sesshomaru gave the imp a swift kick on his back, sending him tumbling down the hill.

Atop the hill, Sesshomaru turned to the child who dodged Jaken's rolling body. He stared down in his usual fashion, cold, emotionless. It sent shivers down the child's spine. He could see it course through her as she stepped back as if he would deem her worth the effort it would take to kill her.

"Know this, I care not if Lord Noburu's daughter has returned from wherever she was sent. Do not send any of his vassals to find me again. They will not return if they press the issue."

He turned his back to her, leaving her to stare at his retreating form. Deftly, he heard Jaken get to his feet again, dust himself, and quickly climb up hill, shouting after him.

Lord Noburu's daughter...Sesshomaru had not thought of the girl in some time. He could remember her face like he just saw her yesterday. They had been children then. What would she look like now? Though it mattered not. Her name and her face, it didn't matter to him. He had no use for her.

At least, that is what he sought to believe.

* * *

Tatsuhana did not hear her alarm go off. She had tossed and turned all night long. Her sleep, though dreamless, was not peaceful. She stayed in bed for hours, laying in the dark, but could find no rest. Her mind was a box of puzzle pieces. She found her thoughts to be jumbled up like her memories. Too many pieces were missing for her to able to pull the whole picture together. When she eventually found sleep, it was so deep that her alarm didn't even wake her.

She awoke to the harsh sun beating against her cheek. Stirring in bed, emotionally and physically exhausted, with blurry eyes she looked at the alarm on her bedside table. Panic settled deep inside her brain as soon as she realized the time. Her heart started racing in her chest. In her haste to rip the sweaty sheets from her body, Tatsuhana managed to still get her foot tangled in her bedding. The fuzzy rug by her bed roughly chaffed her arm as she tripped. While her arm broke her fall, Tatsuhana bumped her knee against the bed.

Picking herself up, she ran to the bathroom. No time for make-up beyond some cover-up for those dark circles and some lip balm. Running a brush quickly through her hair and pulled it behind her head, Tatsuhana wasn't necessarily satisfied with her looks, however she didn't have much choice in the matter. She grabbed her uniform and stuffed it into her backpack unceremoniously with all her other gear. There was no time for her bike. She would have to book it.

Surprisingly, Tatsuhana was rather athletic. You wouldn't see from her lifestyle choices, but she had very strong legs. She ran on her track team in high school, and was good at it. Not national level but still good. She was running late. There was no time to unlock her bike, strap on her helmet, and start peddling. For the first time, she worried about getting the sack. Even Mrs. Nakamura had limits; she'd rather not test them.

Backpack jostled around as she sped down the pavements, Tatsuhana's worried about being fired was a relief. In the back of her mind, for most of it was preoccupied with finding the best method to grovel and beg for forgiveness, the pressure of the last couple of days seemed like nothing. She didn't have to think about weird coincidences or bad dreams. It was just her, the pavement, and a few pedestrians. Her body only had to put in effort in running; she only had to think about one thing.

Tatsuhana had little else on her mind. If she was fired, how would she pay rent? School? Food? It was hard enough to get this job, who else would hire a part-time art student with no car? Anxiety choked her. She couldn't rely on Mrs. Nakamura's generosity.

That's how she dealt with things. Tatsuhana learned quickly that there was no one else who would take care of her. In the short six months since their departure, Tatsuhana knew that she had to rely on herself. It was the only way to serve. Any punishment for arriving late to work was solely her own fault. And it made her feel so terribly, horribly alone.

She fought back tears, swallowing her loneliness. Crying would just slow her down. Tatsuhana kept running and running as if trying to get away from her emotions.

"Look out!" She heard someone shout behind her.

A flash of shiny baby-blue metal careened towards her. Tatsuhana hadn't been looking at the vehicle speeding down the street. The green light flashed across the street; the cross-walk was still blinking. She had the right of way.

These were her thoughts even as crunching metal shattered her ear drums.


	3. Chapter 3

Tatsuhana stood there, numb. The car's tires trapped her bike to the pavement. Her bare palms pressed hard against the hot metal. She moved her body out of instinct, the body's own method of self-preservation. But all the instincts or adrenaline in the world couldn't have produced _this..._

She stared blankly at the car's hood now scrunched up around her hands. Deftly, she heard the crunching metal as her body collided with the vehicle. The gathering crowd around them murmured.

"Did you see that?"

"Did she just...did she just stop a speeding car with her..."

"Is she alright?"

She couldn't tear her eyes away from her hands. Twisted metal crunched under her hands like it was nothing more than a wad of paper. Slowly, Tatsuhana pulled her hands away. The metal groaned as she lifted her hands off the car. She turned them over to look at her palms. Shaking, there was nary a scratch on them. There was barely a noticeable mark on her hands. Her head spun. This should be an impossibility.

Tatsuhana raised her head up. She regretted looking up and meeting the driver's eyes. He and his female companion gawked at her. His face was ashen; he had come so close to killing someone and yet, here she stood. Tatsuhana could see the whites of his eyes staring blankly at her. By all the laws of physics, Tatsuhana should be splattered all over the pavement. She should have been the one trapped on the tires and not her poor bike. She stood in the middle of the street, breathing.

The driver began unbuckling his seat belt. Tatsuhana began walking away just as he opened his door. She ran down the opposite direction. He called after her. Even over the crowds, she could hear him. It only made her run faster. Tatsuhana didn't stop running until she slammed her apartment door closed behind her, locking herself in.

Beads of sweat ran down her face. They slid into her eyes, burning. Feeling the sting churned her stomach. If she could still feel pain, that meant she was alive. Alive and awake. She was acutely aware of just how awake she was. Pulse racing, sweating, heavy breathing. Her chest hurt from all of that running. Unbearably dry, her tongue cleft to the roof of her mouth.

On shaking legs, Tatsuhana carried herself over to the kitchen. She filled a plastic cup with tap water and drank the whole thing in one go. Some dribbled down her chin as she could care less at this point how much of a slob she looked like in her own home. After emptying her cup, she threw it in the sink to be washed later. Her eyes drifted around her kitchen. She took it all in. The small rarely used stove and well-loved microwave, the fridge which only ever kept a carton of milk, orange juice, and eggs, cheap cabinets, and the grimy kitchen sink in desperate need of a good scrubbing. There were one or two bowls in her sink as she mostly ate take-out and ramen noodles. A cup full of used utensils sat there too.

Normal. It all seemed so normal. There were walls. Solid, stark white walls. A large window that opened up to the busy city below. A television and a love seat. Books and sketch pads and pencils littered the coffee table she rescued from the roadside. Rugged wood flooring that creaked whenever she moved. Her parents' shrine. This was normal. This was what she had grown up with. Nearly every modern convenience she could afford. It was all there. Including the calendar. Tatsuhana's eyes drifted towards the calendar hanging on the wall pinned next to the door. She moved closer. With each aching step, the floorboards creaked and moaned beneath her. Her eyes darted down towards the date.

Tatsuhana always kept her calendar. Her meticulous study of dates and times rarely led her wrong. Work days were marked by little circles followed by shift times. On the day in question, today, it was miraculously blank. No circle meant she didn't work. No stars meant she didn't have class either. A giggle bubbled up in her throat. It gathered strength and erupted. Tatsuhana laughed herself silly, rolling on the floor and holding her sides as she cackled madly. Tears ran down her eyes.

All of _that_...for nothing.

Tatsuhana's laughter died eventually. Her body lay on the floor, sore, aching, and chilled with cold sweat. She stared at the ceiling for hours before she admitted that there was something she had to do.

* * *

In a little box in her desk drawer, she kept the only keepsake she had that supposedly belonged to her birth mother. It was the only article she was allowed to keep. When her foster-parents found her, she wore a kimono that she had long since outgrown. Tatsuhana couldn't tell them where it was made. She spent an extra hour in the steaming hot shower, though it had little to do with actual hygiene. The hot water soothed her muscles, but she spent most of her time in the bathroom thinking. Perhaps she had been thinking too hard because by the time she came out of her shower, her fingers were red prunes. After drying off and getting dressed, Tatsuhana opened the desk drawer.

She kept the box hidden in the back, away from prying eyes. If the object had any value beyond sentimental ones, she'd rather it be safe. The box fit between her two hands. Tatsuhana filled it with cotton balls to keep it safe. An old coin was tied to two pieces of worn leather. It looked like one of those Chinese coins used in talismans. It was rough and you couldn't make out the designs on either face of it. A square-shaped hole in the middle of it allowed for leather cords to be weaved through it and the coin to be worn as a necklace. Tatsuhana had touched this relic in a long time. Despite being kept inside in a box at the back of her drawer, it felt warm to the touch. She felt a surge of lukewarm energy fill her. Somehow, she felt better, safer. Like being greeted by a long-lost friend.

There wasn't a proper clasp at the ends of the cords. Tatsuhana tied it at the back of her neck loosely so it wouldn't rub against her skin. Securing it in place, she gathered her things. Without her bike, she was forced to call a cab rather than walk the whole distance with sore muscles. Tatsuhana arrived at the Higurashi Shrine in the middle of the afternoon. Paying her driver, she quietly exited the cab and started up the steps. Performing the purifying ritual, Tatsuhana made herself comfortable on the same bench she found before. Staring long and hard at the well, she wondered what it meant for her to be so drawn here in the first place.

There were many other shrines. Some of them she visited with her foster-parents. They never took her here. This was her second visit yet something felt familiar. Tatsuhana could quite point out it, but somehow it seemed as if she had been here before. Long before she came and drew that strange picture of the well. In particular, the well had a particular pull on her. She could stare at it for hours and never know the answers, however it tugged at her. Something buried deep in her mind, perhaps in the same place where those lost memories of her former life hid, Tatsuhana felt a niggling presence calling her. A cord pulled her somewhere. Here? Who knows? No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she couldn't control the urge to come here. After a couple of years, she caved.

But why?

Why now? Why suddenly visit? Didn't Destiny or the gods or earth-bound spirit have better things to do with their time than lead her on a wild goose chase? Sitting here all by her lonesome didn't do her to help her, but at least it silenced the murmurs in her head. Still, the nagging pull dragged her attention back to the well when she should have been looking for someone who might have more knowledge in supernatural phenomena than she. Tatsuhana wasn't a spiritual person, but that didn't mean she disbelieved everything. Besides, the overwhelming evidence of the supernatural was already piling up around her. She shouldn't be able to speak Chinese or stop a speeding car with her bare hands. Her dreams became more and more bizarre each night. Who else could help her but a priest or shaman?

"Can I help you, dear?" A familiar-sounding woman asked.

Tatsuhana snapped her head towards the woman. The shrine's caretaker must have seen the dark circles under her eyes. She approached carefully and sat next to her, asking, "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Tatsuhana rubbed her face, burying it in her hands. A ghost? Hardly. She merely wished it was a ghost. At least a ghost could be exorcised.

"I-I've been having some very _strange_ things happen to me lately. I don't even know where to begin. It all started last week..."

The caretaker took her by the arm and led her inside. Tatsuhana tried to excuse herself, but the woman, named Mrs. Higurashi, would hear none of them. Tatsuhana found herself seated at a cozy table overlooking the garden. The shrine housed a small family, which wasn't all that uncommon in Japan. Yet she saw so photos of the father. From what she gathered, Mrs. Higurashi lived her with her father, or possibly father-in-law, son, and daughter. Though a missing husband seemed even less suspicious than the lack of missing pictures of the daughter. Tatsuhana spotted several of them lining the walls, however a graduation photo was the last one of the eldest child. There were no other mementos of her scattered throughout the house. Perhaps she went off to college like Tatsuhana did and got a place of her own or married early? It wouldn't have been all that surprising to be honest, not at least to Tatsuhana.

Mrs. Higurashi disappeared for a while and returned with a tea tray. The curious thing about it was that she made tea for _three_ , not two. Tatsuhana didn't have wonder for long who the third cup of tea was for. A short, wizened old man in traditional kimono and hakama entered. Mrs. Higurashi made introductions but paused when she realized she didn't even know Tatsuhana's name.

Clearing her throat, Tatsuhana took it upon herself to amend the situation. "I'm Tatsuhana Hamasaki, and I'm here...well, I'm not sure why I'm here."

Mr. Higurashi furrowed his brows. "How do you not know what you're here for? Did you not come here for a reason?"

"I did...I think. Look," she sighed, exasperated, "I've had some really strange things happen to me lately and I don't have anyone else to turn to. If I could explain it with science or psychology or whatever, I wouldn't be here. No offense."

"None taken," said Mr. Higurashi. "What do you mean by strange things?"

Tatsuhana took a deep breath. There was no other way but to start from the beginning. She started with the strange dream and ran off from there. Now and then, she went on a tangent about the little things from the years past such as the drawing of the strange and beautiful man. Neither of the gentle caretakers balked at her while she described the phenomena she couldn't explain. She could speak Chinese without learning it and somehow had the strength to stop a speeding car. But when she finished, all the old spiritualist asked for was to see the coin around her neck.

Tatsuhana looked at him confused but nevertheless consented. Hesitantly, she untied the cords and handed over the coin to him. He spent several looking it over, back and front, even under a magnifying glass. Tatsuhana felt so helpless just sitting there, watching him turn the coin over in his wrinkled fingers. Watching him handle it like that made her queasy. It took every part of her being not to reach across the table and snatch it back.

"Do you know how old this coin in, Miss?" He asked.

Tatsuhana shook her head, "No. I'm afraid not. I've had it with me ever since I can remember."

The old man hummed as if in deep thought. "And do you remember where you got it?"

Again, she shook her head. The first few years of her life were still a horrible blank for her. "I don't know. All that I know is that I had this on me when my foster-parents found me. I don't know or remember anything more than that."

"When your foster-parents found you?"

"You don't know who your birth parents, do you?" Asked Mrs. Higurashi

"All I know is that I was found wandering the streets not far from here and eventually I was adopted by my foster-parents. Every time I try to remember anything before that time, I get a pounding headache." Tatsuhana stared into the bottom of her tea cup. She had revealed more to a couple of strangers than she ever did with the people who raised her. She felt entirely too exposed and vulnerable yet at the same time, it was lifting. Simply talking about her troubles seemed to ease the burden of carrying it by herself. Whatever the solution might be, at least now she had a support system to help her through it.

"I'm afraid all I can tell you, Miss, is more than just an old coin, I can assure you of that," he said with such enthusiasm Tatsuhana worried it would make him too excited and keel over from a heart attack. "Its power is hidden. Perhaps because the engravings are so worn. This will require some research." Mr. Higurashi placed the coin necklace in her palm and closed her fingers around it. "Do not lose this," he warned.

Hidden power? Uncurling her fingers, she focused on the warmth spreading in the middle of her hand. She could vaguely make out shapes facing her. The worn images looked like some kind of bird and a lizard, or more likely a dragon.

"Don't lose it." Mr. Higurashi repeated.

Out of her daze, Tatsuhana nodded. "Of course." She tried the necklace back around her neck.

The Higarashi's offered no other assistance other than stopping by again should anything weird happened to her. Tatsuhana wanted to say it might be a while, but she doubted it. She couldn't say when it would happen; she knew it wouldn't be long before she returned to the shrine.

Tatsuhana returned home, more restless than ever. She double-checked her schedule on the calendar. She worked tomorrow and the next couple of days after that. 'OFF WORK' was scribbled in bold red marker for the coming Friday. Her twenty-first birthday.

She should be happy, shouldn't she? No, the day mocked her. She didn't have relatives or many friends to celebrate it with. Her foster-parents were gone. Aside from Maiko, who else was there? Besides the fact that she didn't know what would happen before Friday. She clutched the coin around her neck. Somehow it offered a little comfort but staring at the calendar set off alarms in her head. Trepidation trickled down her system. Something was coming, and she knew not what that meant. It frightened her. She liked being prepared, but there was nothing she could do to prepare for the unknown.

Usually on her days off, Tatsuhana's evenings had her invested in mindless channel surfing. With all that was going on, she couldn't even distract herself with television. If asked, she tried. She keep herself still enough on the couch to flip through the channels. Tatsuhana never realized how much effort it actually to stay still long enough to enjoy decent entertainment until she struggled to lay on her love seat simply to veg out. After trying to relax for about an hour or two, she made her way to her parents' shrine, hoping to find some peace.

It worked. For a while. She wandered off to bed before it became too late. Sleep didn't come easy either. She must have lain there for hours before her eyes finally drifted closed.

* * *

 _Pelting rain landed hard against the shore. Dark waves crashed against one another. In the far horizon, the seas gave way to storm-tossed skies. All of the heavens were swallowed up by black clouds tossing and turning. The deepest shadows swallowed up the moon and the stars leaving nothing but darkness on the earth and waters below. It was as if a darkness had come and swept all but the pale shoreline into its realm._

 _Rocky crags and cliffs lined the coast. Bone-white and mossy rocks split the sea just as the lightning split the sky. Blazing against the brooding, brewing storm, a flaming bird tore through the skies and over the chaotic waves, chased by a creature of steel claws, iron fangs, and dark blue scales. Tendrils followed after the serpentine creature. Lightning was its breath and thunder its roar. With wings blessed with the powers of the sun, flames erupted. Whatever they touched, turned to steam or was burned to ash. Neither the rain nor the waves could steal from the fiery winged beast._

 _The dragon raged. If it could not attack with nothing else, then its fangs, long as a man's arm, would suffice as weapons. The dragon swam through the skies. The fire-bird could not escape it. The dragon opened wide its jaws. Sinking its teeth into the fire-bird's side, blood sprinkled the shore. The fire-bird turned, stabbing the dragon with its beak into the dragon's side._

 _All turned quiet except for the seas below. The thunder and lightning ceased. The howling winds quit their moaning. Releasing each other, the two beasts alighted themselves onto the rocky crags. They stood across from each other upon the rocks while the sea crashed all around them. Their shapes changed. The fire-bird's appearance turned from a glorious bird of paradise into a woman in elaborate robes. She wore men's armor, but that did not disgrace her feminine airs and fierce beauty. She wore the colors of fire, brilliant scarlet, saffron, and golden hues that offset her stark black hair._

 _Opposite, the dragon changed into a man in silver and black armor plates and a dark blue kimono and hakama. An unsheathed sword rested at his hand. While his opponent wore no weapon except a long dagger at her hip, he did not move to remove the sword at his side. Dark red bled into each others clothing, wounds bleeding from the opposite sides. She on her right and he on his left._

 _Something greater than the storm and raging seas stood between them. It felt tangible. Palatable. Uncontrolled. It was far greater than themselves and the war between their two peoples. She had come to conquer. In the relative stillness around her, a force beat in her heart. She came to bring honor to her family rather than face marriage. She'd rather die on foreign soil than marry. With her enemy's blood on her tongue, she felt something so much more powerful than filial piety or duty to her country surge through her._

 _He hadn't expected the Chinese to send a woman. He licked his lips, tasting her blood. Both of their injuries were superficial. Neither would die of their wounds. The fight would continue...maybe. He watched her watching him. Her fierce jade-green eyes made only more dangerous with red ceremonial paint on those perfect lids. He wondered what had brought her to this land in the first place. She left her family behind to fight in a war to conquer more land. Did her father know? Did her brothers? He certainly couldn't picture a husband waiting at home. He couldn't see a husband at all. Such a fierce creature deserved only a man equally determined and powerful. All males must have seemed meek in her presence._

 _But he was not a meek male..._

* * *

Tatsuhana awoke to the sound of her alarm blaring. She slept on her stomach, face first into her pillow. A puddle of drool pooled around her mouth. In disgust, she sat up and wiped her mouth. On the other side of her hand, however, cloudy graphite smeared all over her skin. She looked found graphite smudges on her fingertips too. Pencils were scattered over the blankets; a sketchbook lay discarded on the floor. Picking it up, she leafed through the pages. Somewhere in the middle of the night, she must have started drawing in a half-daze again.

Tatsuhana gasped at what her sleepy self was inclined to draw. Pictured in shades of gray was a rocky coastline in the middle of a storm. A female and male figure stood on some rocks and faced each other. A woman in Song dynasty clothing and a man in Japanese armor. A phoenix rose from the woman's body like an astral spirit while an Eastern dragon flew out of the man's. They seemed to stare at each other longingly.

Shutting the sketchbook, she ran her hands through her hair. The dreams were becoming more strange just as she predicted. Pieces to the puzzle were scrambled in the box. How would she put them together? And if she finished, what would the puzzle look like? Tatsuhana couldn't imagine what kind of picture awaited her when the pieces came together. She only looked forward to the end. When all's revealed, she might be able to sleep in peace. No more dreams. No more discoveries of secret, forgotten talents. No more car accidents.

Still shaken, Tatsuhana took the bus, vowing to never walk or bike her way to work and school again. Fortunately, the incident seemed largely forgotten. And if she heard any murmurings about it, she ducked away and tried to draw the least amount of attention to herself. With that in mind, Tatsuhana let the next three days breeze by. Though her thoughts lingered on her dreams and the images she drew when she wasn't fully aware of what she was doing, she let work distract her. Busy nights of taking orders, carrying trays, and watching out for pervy customers took up most of her time. It provided a pleasant distraction for the life crisis threatening to corrupt her otherwise peaceful existence.

She had drinks with Maiko to look forward to. She didn't want to burden her old friend with superstitions and crazy dreams. Thursday evening arrived without further _incidents_ barring the way. Her heels were barking by the end of her shift. Her only desire was to go home and eat the remainder of her cookie dough ice cream and use the rest of the night to work on some drawings.

She'd just finished clocking out when Mrs. Nakamura stopped her.

"Tatsuhana, I was hoping to find you! I've got a little present for you!" She ducked inside her office and returned with a small pink envelope. "An early birthday gift. Don't feel guilty either. I hand these out to everybody!"

Reassured, Tatsuhana offered gratitude and opened the envelope. It wasn't an extravagant gift but it was thoughtful. It was a gift card worth twenty-six thousand yen* to the bar down the street Maiko mentioned. Mrs. Nakamura probably overheard them talking. She thanked her manager for the gift and tucked the gift card into her bag.

When she slept that night, no dreams came to her. Tatsuhana should have woken up grateful that no bizarre dreams visited her in the night. She didn't wake up with a sketchbook full of fantastical drawings that plucked at her soul, and not in an artistic way. The kind of way that sent her spiraling towards a mental breakdown. Her fingers and hands weren't smudged with graphite this time. She awoke late in the afternoon stiffly on her back.

She slept a dreamless sleep yet she couldn't fight the fear crawling inside her, churning her stomach. It bubbled and broiled there. It was like a shadow loomed over her. Tatsuhana laid in her bed far longer than she always did. For an artist, she didn't laze around her house like one. She woke up and got busy. Never was she the kind of person who laid in bed all day, even on her days off.

Today was different. It felt different. She could feel it all the way in her bones. Deep in the marrow. It was different from all the other birthday mornings. She stayed in bed, almost unmoving, and stared at the ceiling like it was the last time she would see it. Eventually, slowly, she got out of bed. It was almost reluctantly that she did so. Her hands caressed her bed sheets for what like the first time. She let her fingertips linger on the dull pale green cotton sheets and the hand-made quilt her foster-mother took months to create. She wiggled her toes when her feet touched the shag carpets. Tatsuhana looked around her room as if for the first and last time. She took in all the sights of her own room. She felt comforted and foreign at the same time. All too often she heard friends and peers say she was born in the wrong era, that she had an old soul. Looking around her bedroom, Tatsuhana wonder if they were right. She knew the objects of her room. The well-kept desk. The bookshelf were she kept all of her favorite novels, mangas, and art and design books. The frilly lace curtains she bargained for at a flea market downtown. She knew each of these items, some of which she purchased herself with the money she worked so hard to earn. She knew her surroundings but couldn't help feeling out of place.

Such an odd sensation to wake up to. Tatsuhana wondered if this was what comatose patients felt like when they finally opened their eyes. Were the faces of their loved ones as familiar and distant to them as her bedroom felt to her? Trying not to let these thoughts scare her this early in the morning, Tatsuhana went about her daily routine. She showered, dried her hair, and dressed. Standing in the mirror, she saw something different. Like there was a new light to her, a new glow, something about her that she never noticed before. Her body hummed with this energy she never before felt. As she gazed in the mirror, she saw herself and a stranger standing in the mirror both at once. Despite being Asian, green eyes stared back at her. Inhumane jade green eyes, like those she saw in a dream once...

Shaking her head, Tatsuhana vowed never to think about her dreams again. Today wasn't going to be a day about strange dreams. It was about _her._ It was _her_ birthday and she was going to celebrate it how she wanted. She would grab lunch, do some sketches in the park, and meet Maiko at the bar for drinks and dinner. She'd come home, hopefully tipsy because that was the only way to prove you had a good time, and crawl into bed, praying for an easy passage with the morning hangover the next day. Once more, she tied the old coin around her neck. She had no idea what it meant to have it, but she felt safer with it. The old man at the shrine did tell her not to lose it. This way, she could keep an eye on it.

Tatsuhana went to the bike rack outside her building out of habit. She'd been doing that over the last couple of days before she remembered that he bike had been sadly crushed beneath the tires of a baby-blue Mustang. She walked to the bus stop and waited for what felt like a century for it to arrive. Paying her fare, she sat at the back, clutching her shoulder bag in her lap. Out the window, Tatsuhana watched the world fly by before her eyes. Cars, people, buildings. She began to notice little things she hadn't before. Like how the flower shop's window had a light green tint or how a certain bike rack had been painted blue instead of a pedestrian black or how a letter in a neon sign hanging above a dive bar flickered more than the others. Without thinking, she tugged on the pulley long before she intended to. The route wasn't near the park, but Tatsuhana stopped off here anyway.

When the bus pulled away, Tatsuhana gasped. She stopped in front of the Higurashi shrine without even thinking about it. Beforehand, she didn't put much faith in signs. With all that had been going on in the past week, Tatsuhana started to question that previously held notion. Without a second thought, she walked across the street.

She performed the purification ritual and offered her prayers to the gods and to the spirits of her foster-parents. She listed all the things she was grateful for and how miraculous it was that she made it to twenty-one. Tatsuhana suddenly felt at peace. She could breathe. The shadows were gone.

Making her way towards the well, the coin about her neck started to radiate that familiar warmth. It grew in power the closer she got to the well. It didn't burn though it started to become quite the concern. Coins weren't supposed to spontaneously grow warm. In spite of it, Tatsuhana drew near the well. Her fingers curled around the necklace. Heat spread throughout her body without making her sweat. It was gentle heat much like a mother's embrace wrapping around her.

Tatsuhana entered the well's shrine. She hadn't ventured this close before; she had no reason to. But today...that hidden cord that stretched out from the far reaches deep within her mind pulled her here. She stood beside it with her hands braced against its edge. Its stone mouth cool to the touch. The well wasn't so much a well but a pit. No water swam at its depths, but she supposed at some point it had once delivered life-giving waters to a village long-forgotten. She heard Mrs. Higurashi calling for her, no doubt seeing her pass through the shrine's courtyard and wanted to say hello. Tatsuhana turned to greet Mrs. Higurashi but as she did, a bright light started humming at the bottom of the well.

It started as a small spark, an ember trying to fight against too many shadows. It quickly grew. Gold and red hues burst out, throwing rays of brilliant light in every direction. Tatsuhana shielded her eyes. She yelped when she felt something grab unto her arms, lift her off her feet, and drag her into the well. She barely heard Mrs. Higurashi yelling and calling after her. Tatsuhana could barely make out her form standing over the lip of the well silhouetted by the sunset-colored light swirling around her.

Down. Down. Down, down, down Tatsuhana sank. Reds, golds, and oranges gave way to deep purple swirling with dazzling lights. Her stomach churned; its contents tossed and turned. Bile rose in her throat and filled her mouth with a sour aftertaste. The tunnel of purple and blue lights flickered as she was yanked by an invisible force quickly down. She was no scientist, but if she kept falling, eventually she would have to meet cold, hard ground. A landing like that held no promises of comfort, just a quick death.

But the tunnel seemed endless. A bottomless tunnel. She would just keep falling and falling like Alice in Wonderland, only she would never wake up. Tatsuhana fell down a rabbit hole with no escape. Hopeless, helpless, Tatsuhana lost all the strength to fight back the force dragging her down. Her voice was too hoarse to scream when a black pit opened up several feet below her. Her body careened towards that great, big empty dark pit. All she could think about was how she would miss her date with Maiko.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing Tatsuhana woke to was the taste of bile in her mouth. Her face scrunched up as she slowly awakened with that in her mouth, sending a new wave of nausea through her body. Cool, moist earth rested beneath her cheek. Bright, warm light shined on top of her like an interrogation lamp. Deftly, she heard birds chirping from far away.

Her eyelids shifted. She found herself laying on her side. Somehow her shoulder bag stayed on during the fall, but the contents had tumbled out. Shifting, Tatsuhana fumbled around at the bottom of the well, or wherever she was, for the pencils and other things scattered about. She pulled out her phone only to find she had zero service. Odd. She was still in the city, right? She should have had excellent service unless the shrine had some kind of signal device that shut off cell phones, but that seemed a little too extreme. Nope. Zero bars. She thought it might be due to being at the bottom of a well. Putting the phone back in her bag, Tatsuhana took a look at her surroundings.

She had dirt underneath her with sparse grass growing in irregular patches. A circular wall of stone wrapped around her. Tatsuhana was pretty tall for an Asian girl; she could barely stretch herself comfortably on the ground. Moss grew along with the walls, filling in every crack and crevice. At the bottom, she could taste the dampness of the cool earth and moldering walls on the tip of her tongue. Standing up at last, she brushed the dirt off her clothes. Her feet squelched in the moist earth. Ugh...moist. The most loathed in the human language.

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

She remembered hearing. Mrs. Higurashi call after her as Tatsuhana fell down. Tilting her head up, she saw not the vaulted ceiling of a pagoda but the clear blue sky. Clouds hung over head and the sun shine so brightly that it stung her eyes. It seemed as if the sun was unhindered by the haze of smog.

Deep in her gut, Tatsuhana knew something was wrong, terribly, horribly wrong. The air smelled and tasted different. She didn't hear any cars going by. Even if the shrine wasn't the busiest place in the world, surely she should be able to hear _something._ Anything. Trapped at the bottom of a well didn't mean that she couldn't hear. Where was the traffic? The sound of kids playing in the street? The hum of electric life buzzing around? This was Tokyo, wasn't it?

There was quiet rustling much like the sound of tall grass in the Savanah just before the lion pounced on its prey. Several feet stomped over the ground near-by. Tatsuhana now could hear distant feet coming towards the well, towards her.

"Who's up there? I need some help!" Her voice bounced off the walls. She shouted as loud as she could. With her throat sore from all that screaming she did as she fell, Tatsuhana wasn't sure how much louder she could be.

The footsteps drew nearer. She looked around her. All the walls were slick with moisture and green moss. The stones were cut and glued together so tightly, she wouldn't be able to fit even her fingernail in between them.

"I'm stuck down here!" She shouted again, forcing her still sensitive vocals to the point of straining.

The footsteps stopped and the voices began.

"I'm tellin' ya I heard somethin' coming from the well!" The first voice was a gruff and masculine yet it grated on her ears. Like the sound of a hillbilly trying to imitate civil speech.

The next one was much kinder to Tatsuhana's ears.

"Inuyasha, the well has been inactive for years. You know this. Perhaps what you heard was some animal falling down the well and..."

"In case you haven't noticed, Miroku, my ears are a hell of a lot better than yours. I know I heard somethin' and it ain't no animal."

A woman spoke at last. Calm and collected, judging by her voice Tatsuhana's first guess said that this woman had dealt with these two for some time.

"Let's just check it out to see."

Tatsuhana had been leaning her head up. She held her hand above her brows and squinted in the unusually bright sunlight. Despite this, she made out three figures standing near the lip of the well. One of them gasped while the other two stood silently. Tatsuhana watched as one of them slipped away, their footsteps disappearing. The two remaining figures just stood there, watching her watching them. She only looked away when her neck started cramping. There wasn't much room to pace at the bottom of this forsaken well. Two steps and she crossed it. Several minutes later, the third set of footsteps returned. A ladder lowered itself down. Tatsuhana didn't need any instructions to start climbing.

There was a rush of summer air that she never felt before. It smelled cleaner than anything she breathed in her entire life. When she hauled herself over the edge of the well, Tatsuhana's jaw fell to the ground. Before her eyes was not the busy, bustling cityscape she'd known for most of her life. Tall, green grass yawned in front of her for miles and miles and miles ahead. Trees heavy with branches of pine needles and maple leaves encroached her on all sides. The grove protected a humble shrine she could barely make out amongst the trees. She stood on a small hill. A small village sprawled out in the valley below past the tree line.

Her knees knocked together. She had to grip the well to keep herself from tipping over. Tatsuhana pressed her hand against her forehead, hoping to find a high fever. Her skin felt clammy to the touch, but there wasn't a sign of a fever as far as she could tell. Another wave of nausea hit her like a punch to the gut.

"I know this might be all strange and new to you," said the female voice. Tatsuhana felt a pair of hands grasp her shoulders. "But I'm sure we'll get this all figured out. I'm Kagome, by the way."

Tatsuhana whipped around. She saw a familiar face.

"You!" She pointed a finger into the other woman's face. "Your picture! I've seen you before at the shrine. There were pictures of you hanging all over the walls!"

Kagome stood there, staring at the hysterical woman.

"You've been to Higurashi Shrine?"

"Yes! I just came from there…" Tatsuhana softly patted her chest as if that would slow down the accelerating beating. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. "I'm…dreaming. This all just…a very weird dream. I'm going to take a seat, relax and close my eyes and when I open them again, I'll be safe and snug in my apartment."

Tatsuhana took a deep breath before plopping down in the grass. She slid down the edge of the well and sat cross-legged against the wall. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Her breathing became steady as she relaxed.

"I'm gonna tell her," said the gruff one.

Kagome swatted at his arm, "Don't you dare."

"She's gonna have to realize it anyhow!"

"True, but you're not quite, how shall I put this, Inuyasha? You're neither eloquent nor understanding of a lady's emotional needs. It would be better if I handled this."

Tatsuhana grew impatient and turned to the gentle-speaking monk. It almost felt like blasphemy calling this man a monk. By his appearance and general bearing, he reminded her of no man of the cloth. Perhaps his piety was sincere, but his mannerisms and speech made him sound more like a smooth-talking womanizer. Tatsuhana made a note to never allow herself to be stuck in the same room with this man alone.

"Oi. Does Sango know you're still flirting with other women?"

"I am shocked and dismayed that you would believe me to be such a low caliber person. I was merely offering the young lady assistance." The monk feigned insult.

"Can I get a minute here? Go, go." Kagome shooed at them, frantically waving her hands.

Tatsuhana watched the two of them disappear down the hill. Her skin began to crawl. A monk of ambiguous intentions and someone else entirely. It didn't escape her that the other man had dog ears sticking of from his snow-white hair. She was sure she was dreaming; she waited for it to be over. She closed her eyes again, waiting to hear her alarm go off.

Kagome seated herself next to Tatsuhana. They sat together for several long minutes. Tatsuhana sighed. A hard lump hit the back of her throat. Why would she think sitting in the dirt with her eyes closed bring her back? Desperation perhaps. There were endless miles of lists made up of the things people do in desperation. She was driving herself mad trying to fool herself.

"I didn't catch your name," said Kagome cheerfully. No doubt she was trying to lift the mood.

Tatsuhana shifted; she pulled her knees up to her chin. Slowly, she reopened her eyes. The pastoral scene still lay before her. No amount of logical thinking could explain away how she got to this place. Crying wouldn't solve her problems. Neither would sitting on her bum waiting for the answers to come. If she was going to find out how and why she'd been brought here, Tatsuhana would have to get started. The first step was to get off the ground.

"Tatsuhana Hamasaki but my friends call me Hana."

Kagome got to her feet first. She brushed the dirt off the bottom of her hakama. Proffering a hand towards Tatsuhana, she smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Hana."

Kagome's smile might have been contagious if Tatsuhana didn't have other things to think about. Hesitantly, she grabbed hold of Kagome's hand and was helped to her feet. They walked down to the village. It didn't take long for the villagers to take notice. They saw Kagome, and then took notice of their new guest. Tatsuhana was so used to be just another person in the crowd. Being watched by curious onlookers made her wholly uncomfortable. Despite knowing the woman for five minutes, Tatsuhana stuck close to Kagome. The villagers gawked but did nothing more. She found it curious that they stopped to stare for only a short while and then return to their chores.

They ended up at a small hut. Tatsuhana's tennis shoes looked so out of place, but she left them outside the door nevertheless. Standing in the middle of the hut, she felt so terribly out of place herself. The walls were nothing more than planks of plain wood. No paintings or engravings, however what else could she expect of a _village hut_. She tried to remember than peasants couldn't exactly afford arbitrary things like pieces of art. What good would it serve them?

An old woman stirred a pot on a low stove. She turned towards them as they entered. Tatsuhana tried not to gasp at the old woman's appearance or stare at the eye patch. She swallowed hard and made her footsteps light.

"Kagome, who is our new visitor?" Asked the old woman. She returned to stirring the contents of her boiling pot.

"Kaede, this is Tatsuhana. She…fell down the well."

The old woman looked up from her pot, snapping her eye towards Tatsuhana. She narrowed her eye.

"Ye say she fell down the Bone Eater's Well?"

Kagome nodded.

"Wait. _Bone Eater's_ Well? What does that mean?" Tatsuhana felt her skin crawl. With a name like that, it couldn't mean anything good.

"Long ago, we used to throw the remains of demons down that well before Kagome used it to travel back and forth to her time. I see ye have used it for the same purpose," Kaede answered.

Brows heavily furrowed, Tatsuhana turned to Kagome. She pointed, "You?"

Nodding, "It feels like so long ago. I didn't think it would start working again."

Tatsuhana grabbed her shoulders and shook Kagome gently. "So you're saying there's a way back through the well, right? If you used it to get to the future that must mean I can use it to get back too, right?"

"Well…" Kagome wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to get Tatsuhana's hopes up. "I'm not sure. This is the first time somebody else has traveled through the well."

"It's been silent for over a year. Tis the first time we have seen someone other than Kagome climb through it."

Tatsuhana let her shoulders sink. She made her way over to the furthest wall she could find and sank to the floor. Pulling her shoulder off, she pushed it away from her.

"So," she sighed, "I'm stuck here indefinitely?"

Kagome and Kaede exchanged glances. Tatsuhana's situation was _unique_. They never expected the Bone Eater's Well to resurrect. There had been nary a whisper from the well. Inuyasha was the first to hear anything with his supernatural senses. Nobody saw a light erupting out of sleeping well. When they found her standing there, so many questions arose. Kagome was about to ask Tatsuhana some more when the latter's stomach grumbled.

A bitter laugh came from Tatsuhana's mouth. "Of course I would be hungry."

"Kagome, see if you can find extra ingredients. We will be feeding an extra mouth it seems." Kaede glanced from the food she was preparing towards Tatsuhana.

Perhaps she was getting too old. By all appearances, Tatsuhana looked like another poor soul dragged from her world. However, the well did not pick and choose its victims carelessly. Kagome did not arrive in their time because of some callous whim. She was brought here with a purpose. Just what was Tatsuhana's purpose here?

"Lady Kaede!" A small child ran inside the hut, hefting a basket of vegetables over her head. "Look how many vegetables I got! This is enough to feed an army!"

"Rin, why don't ye put that down and greet our guest?" Kaede nodded towards Tatsuhana sulking against the wall.

Rin set her basket down next to the stove. Her footsteps were preciously light and quick. She wore a grin from ear to ear. She cocked her head to the side as she looked Tatsuhana over before running over. The girl plopped down next to her.

"Why do you look so sad?"

"She is lost and does not know how to find her way home," answered Kaede.

"Is it true? You don't know how to get home?" Rin, the darling, had million questions.

Tatsuhana never spent any amount of time near children as she got older. Never so much as having a boyfriend, the idea of having her own kids seemed like such a distant thought. It couldn't have been further from her mind. The curious little thing she was, Rin asked her question after question. Where did she come from? How did she get here? What was she wearing? Tatsuhana couldn't explain everything. How was she going to pull that off? Though she refused to believe that she would be stuck here, the less attention she brought to herself the better.

In order of Rin's questions:

"Far away."

"Through a well."

"Clothes. From a very faraway place."

Rin's excitable nature and continuous questions only ceased when the mid-day meal was served. Tatsuhana breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this was the reason she didn't have any children yet. She could only withstand so much of Rin's curiosity. She had the meal in general quiet, only speaking when asking necessary.

"Tatsuhana, what did you do for a living?" Asked Kagome.

Tatsuhana set down her chopsticks for a moment. "I was a student and an artist."

"You're an artist? Are you any good?" She continued.

"Well, the thing is…I'm not really sure how to answer. If I say, yes, I am a good artist; it might mean that I'm egotistical and not very good. If I say no, I'm not; it might mean that I have poor confidence in my skill. You can't win." She used this excuse every time somebody asked her that question. Perhaps she should've listened to Maiko more often about her art.

Though that probably wouldn't change anything. Even if she did listen to Maiko's advice, it might still have meant Tatsuhana finding herself in a place entirely not her own. It was futile thinking changing one little thing meant anything. If anything, it would mean she'd leave behind more than a small, shabby apartment and a cupboard full of ramen noodles.

The shoji doors slid open. The monk arrived with a young mother and her three children. She carried a small toddler on her back and two older girls, not much older than the one already in her arms, ran. Kagome gathered the two into her arms while the monk Miroku and the mother made themselves comfortable. Once more, Tatsuhana felt all their eyes on her. Being watched was entirely too unnerving for her liking.

"You must be the one Miroku said came through the well. I'm Sango."

Tatsuhana nodded politely and went back to eating.

"Are you situating yourself well enough?" Asked Miroku.

 _Well_. Tatsuhana started to really hate that word. Huffing, she answered, "As best I can, considering."

"Yes, I can understand how your situation must be very difficult."

The fire building in her gut exploded. Slamming her fist against the short table, Tatsuhana shook the bowl of food spread out, rattling the dishes.

"Difficult? _Difficult_ is struggling to pay your taxes on time. _Difficult_ is trying to make a living off a job that pays you the bare minimum and no matter how nice your boss is you can't possibly consider asking for a raise. _Difficult_ is carrying three or four trays of food at once while defending yourself from perverts who want to grab your ass because they feel entitled to it. This _situation_ is beyond the paltry difficult," Tatsuhana hissed.

If she hated feeling eyes on her before, she better prepare herself. With her little outburst, everybody looked at her now. So much for not drawing attention to herself. Tatsuhana buried her hand in her hair. She didn't look at them, any of them. Her cheeks were flushed and red. Embarrassed for herself, she sighed.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I'm not normally like this. I'm just…very upset."

Kagome offered a comforting hand on her shoulder. She squeezed Tatsuhana's shoulder. The meal continued without further ado.

"Perhaps Lord Sesshomaru might be able to help?" Rin chirped.

Tatsuhana felt her blood grow hot and cold at the same time. She felt her body stiffen at the name. _Ses-sho-ma-ru_. 'The killing perfection,' eh? Not that _Tatsuhana_ had much to snicker at. There was a reason she preferred friends and family to call her 'Hana' and not her full first name. Not only did it feel like a mouthful, it had a most peculiar meaning behind it. 'Dragon flower,' whatever did it mean? Although, names and their meanings hardly had a place here.

"What do you mean, Rin?" Asked Kagome to leave Tatsuhana with her thoughts.

"Well…"

Tatsuhana cringed. Yup. She officially hated that word.

"Lord Sesshomaru is powerful and smart and connected. Surely, he might be able to find the answer to Miss Hana's questions!"

"Unfortunately," said Miroku, "Finding him is the problem. Who knows where he might be now?"

"Not to mention getting him to help a _human_ ," Sango butted in. "You remember? He's still not too fond of us."

"Are you…are you people saying that this Sesshomaru person _isn't_ human?" Tatsuhana repressed a shiver.

 _Please say no. Please say no. Please say no_. She chanted in her head.

"In the future, we don't have many demons left," Kagome turned to her, "Tatsuhana, you're about five hundred years into the past, and here demons very do much exist."

She didn't so much as gape. Tatsuhana swallowed hard.

"Demons exist? Here?"

Kagome nodded.

"Flesh eating, soul-devouring, liver-chomping demons of various shapes, sizes, and guises?"

Nodding again, Kagome answered, "Yes."

Tatsuhana closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and held her breath. She held her breath for almost a minute before releasing it. Normally, she would eat her whole meal and left nothing behind. Looking at the bowl of rice and cooked vegetables, all Tatsuhana could think of was some ghostly entity possessing the dish and try to kill her. She pushed her food away; nausea threatened to consume her. She propped her elbow on the table and rested her forehead in her hand.

"Is there any sake in the house? Because I really could use some right about now."

Kaede looked over at her sympathetically. She complained about her old bones as she got up and walked over to the wall. She opened a cabinet, took something out of it, and came back to the table with a corked gourd. Pulling the cork, she left the gourd in front of Tatsuhana who emptied her tea cup and poured the sake.

"I don't normally drink at all, especially not at this time of day." She confessed, raising the glass to her lips.

She down the contents of the cup in one go. It burned all the way down, but it felt so good. Her brain fell quiet. The rushing thoughts ceased. Sighing, she poured herself another. Then another and then another.


	5. Chapter 5

She woke up first. She was still dressed in the clothes from the day before and found her shoes still outside hut. Tatsuhana woke up to the sound a croaking rooster but refused to open her eyes. If she did, the horrible reality of her situation would still be there. Let her hope a little while longer.

Tying on her shoes, Tatsuhana made her way back to the well. The farmers paused on their way to the fields and herds, watching her climb up the hill to the small shrine. They said nothing to her. She tried not to pay attention to their staring as she climbed up the worn foot-path. The well looked just the same as yesterday. It looked so much different than it did in the future. Very little moss grew along its sides and the mortar holding it together didn't look so old. Peering over the well's mouth, she found the ladder still there.

Tatsuhana took a deep breath, grabbed onto the ladder, and started down. She didn't know what she was supposed to expect. She hoped against hope that the strange, warm red light would starting glowing at her feet as soon as she touched down. Nothing greeted her feet except moist brown earth. She stood in the middle of the well, waiting for something to happen. Anything would be a welcome miracle. The morning birds chirped loudly from above. Leaves and branches rustled. Stillness, soft-sounding stillness roared above her head. It was the quiet that frightened her the most. The calm and the quiet always proceeded a storm. The lack of noisy chaos was the second worst sensation she'd ever felt. The first being the emptiness of a room after a loved one dies, an unfortunate circumstance she suffered through twice. _This_ was almost as bad.

Tatsuhana glared at the dirt at her feet. "I'm ready to go home now!"

She hissed and cursed and spat. Stomping her foot, she made demands of whatever power that brought her here in the first place, but the magic refused to budge. She stomped her feet, screaming at the dirt. Spittle ran down the corner of her mouth; Tatsuhana practically foamed at the mouth. The well had driven her mad.

After her echoes died away, she sighed. Wiping the spit from her mouth and sweat from her brow, Tatsuhana climbed back up the ladder. She flopped down in the grass and leaned against the cool stone. With her knee propping up her elbow, Tatsuhana braced her hand against her forehead. The blood in her temples throbbed painfully. She couldn't tell if was due to her immense frustration or a left-over hangover from yesterday. Tatsuhana didn't consider herself a drinker. She didn't really like the taste of alcohol and rarely enjoyed the buzz it produced. At the time, she needed it. She needed to quiet the voices in her head.

She was trapped in a time period far removed from her own. No indoor plumbing, no electricity, no microwavable meals. What was she going to do for clothes? The possibility of wearing her futuristic jeans and blouse didn't appear to be a viable option. She stuck out enough as it is. She couldn't travel far in these clothes. These were the clothes she arrived in and, as far as she knew, there was no way to get back. She might be able to wash them, but what would be the point? She couldn't wash her clothes every day and put them on over and over. It would be madness. And what was she supposed to do when her _monthlies_ arrived? Tatsuhana didn't know what women used. For all she knew, they wore rags. No pharmacy meant no way of getting medication for painful cramps. That prospect made her queasy. She hated pain.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Tatsuhana lifted her head to see Kagome coming towards her. She said nothing as Kagome sat next to her against the well.

"You tried to go through the well again?"

"I don't belong here! I thought you said you used this magical well to go back and forth through time. Why isn't taking me home?" Tatsuhana cringed. She couldn't even come up with a good apology. It wasn't Kagome's fault she was stuck here. She didn't deserve to be yelled at. "I know it's not your doing that I'm trapped in the past. I didn't mean to take my anger out on you."

Kagome offered her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "I know this is going to be difficult for you. I'm used to this, but I can't imagine what it's like for you. We'll work on getting you back to the future. In the mean time, just try to make the best of the situation."

"Best of the situation? What on earth am I going to be doing in the meantime? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little more than just accustomed to having modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing and sanitary feminine products at my quick disposal. I'm not cut out for living in the country, let alone five hundred years into the past."

"You're an artist, right? You could draw some landscapes or rural life. It would be something different from what you usually draw in future Tokyo, right?" Kagome suggested.

"Yeah..." Tatsuhana sighed. They walked down to the village. The view, she would admit, was serene. Although she missed the noise of the city, it was rather nice to be able to hear herself think. "I could give it a shot. I suppose it would be better than lying around all day, sulking and bemoaning my fate."

"That's the spirit!" Kagome cheerfully patted her on the shoulders. "Oh, look!" She pointed towards the figure walking towards them. It was the dog-eared fellow with terrible table manners. Tatsuhana would have recognized his glaringly red kimono anywhere. "Good morning, Inuyasha."

Tatsuhana watched Kagome walk quickly over to him and give him a kiss on the cheek. They exchanged loving glances that was so sweet, Tatsuhana felt her teeth rot. But being a stereotypical male, Inuyasha ruined the moment by running his mouth off.

"I'd thought it was you screaming this morning. Did ya have fun yelling at the dirt?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided. She quickly turned to Tatsuhana, "Don't pay him any attention."

"No, no," Tatsuhana conceded, "I kind of deserved that. I honestly don't know why I thought that would work. Until we figure out why it worked for me after, what you say, has been years of being asleep, it looks like I might be here for a while."

"It's not that bad. Really," said Kagome.

Tatsuhana in her tracks. "Look, I know what you're trying to do, but you have to know that no matter how many platitudes or words of sympathy will make me feel better right now. Right now, I'm angry and frustrated and I want to stay that way. I don't think I can relax when I'm stuck in a time period known for bandit raids, warfare, rampant disease, and zero female emancipation."

"Geez, you're stuck here for not even a full day and you're already complaining this early in the morning." Inuyasha growled. He stepped closer, getting directly in her face. Tatsuhana was unusually tall for a woman which forced Inuyasha to glare slightly upwards. "I'm sorry, _Princess_ , if your accommodations ain't to your liking. Until we figure out what's going on with the well, you're stuck. So, I suggest you keep your attitude in check or I'll find a way to check it for you."

Tatsuhana sneered. If there was one thing she hated more, it was somebody, especially a man, telling her how to act. She had every right to complain, and no matter the time of day, she was bound and determined to vent her frustration on whoever dared to cross her path. Kagome was a nice woman and all, but that blissful pretense and pleasantries weren't sending Tatsuhana back to the future.

"I do not need an attitude adjustment from the likes of you," she sneered back.

"Do you want to say that again, wench?" Inuyasha resisted cracking his knuckles and flexing his claws.

It became a normal reflex. Tatsuhana was a human as far as he could tell. She'd didn't have the smell of a demon lingering on her. Although, her pale green eyes said the opposite. He'd never seen a human with eyes such as hers.

"I said, I don't need an attitude adjustment from the likes of you. Did you really need to call me 'wench?' Was that really necessary? I'm not going to check myself because somebody with a loud mouth and the table manners of a barbarian told me to."

"Guys," Kagome tried to interrupt but was promptly ignored.

"Well, at least—"

Tatsuhana clapped her hands over her ears and groaned loudly, "Stop saying that word!"

"What word? Well?"

Tatsuhana groaned louder.

Inuyasha snickered. At last, he had proper ammunition.

"Well, well, well. Don't like the word _well_ , do ya?"

"I swear if you say that word _one more time_ I'm going to—"

"Do what? What could a human like you possibly do to me? Feh. I bet you couldn't give leave a mark!"

Gritting her teeth, Tatsuhana took his challenge. Couldn't leave a mark, huh? _We'll just see about that_ , Tatsuhana thought as she grabbed his wrist. Perhaps the technique hadn't been perfected yet in the time period. She caught Inuyasha completely off guard. Her irritation, her rage, her frustration all cemented in hefting this clod over her shoulder in one swoop. Inuyasha lay on his back, dazed and confused. Tatushana grinned madly down at him, dusting her hands off as if brushing him away.

"I've lived in the city on my own since I started art school. I wasn't going to leave myself defenseless. If you think you can call me out and not expect even the slightest repercussions, you're sorely mistaken."

She promptly turned her nose up at him like he was nothing more than a lowly peasant and she a wealthy aristocrat. Tatsuhana walked back to the cottage by herself.

"Try to be a little nicer next time, won't you, Inuyasha?" Kagome helped him up.

Inuyasha had that look on his face. He would never admit it, but Inuyasha was a bit of a sore loser. He didn't like to be bested. Perhaps it was the fact that not only Tatsuhana was a human and flipped him over onto his back that ticked him off. She was also a woman. He hadn't counted on her having any kind of training. However, there was more to it than that. Kagome recognized the look in his eyes. He wasn't just being a sore loser. No, there was something going on in that pretty little head of his. The proverbial gears were turning, and although he wasn't particularly clever or intelligent, Inuyasha could rely on his instincts to guide him. His golden eyes hardened and turned to Tatsuhana's retreating form.

"Inuyasha," Kagome touched his arm. He stiffened at her touch. His body went rigid as if he waited to attack. "What is it?"

"Something's not right about that woman."

"Just because she tossed you like a sack of flour doesn't mean you get to-"

"No, it isn't that. Did you see how she flipped me? How fast she did it? How hard I landed?"

Puzzled, Kagome failed to see his point. "So? She took martial arts classes. A lot of women in my era do it to stay fit or for protection."

"It shouldn't have been that easy," said Inuyasha.

"You've let plenty of people do that to you and worse. I really don't get what you're saying."

"I'm saying that it shouldn't have been easy for her. I've let those people lift me or drag me in a net because they were human, and I let them. I didn't have time to prepare to let Tatsuhana flip me over her shoulder. It's not an easy task for the strongest human to do, let alone a woman. She's stronger than she looks, Kagome. A lot stronger."

Kagome's brows furrowed. "Stronger than she looks?"

"Look," he gently took her by the shoulders. "I know she doesn't look it, but that right _there_ wasn't something a mere human could pull of. She looks, smells, and acts human but I still don't know what she is. Not anymore. I'm not saying to stay away from her. Just be on your guard."

Kagome frowned. She knew Inuyasha to be protective of her and what he was asking of her wasn't unreasonable. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Tatsuhana go back inside the hut and shut the door behind her. Kagome herself didn't sense any kind of energy emerging from her. Not spiritual or demonic. Despite her current mood, Kagome doubted there was a mean bone in Tatsuhana's whole body. She was just a woman stuck in the past, literally, and really wanted to get back home. There was no reason to doubt her. There were even fewer reasons to doubt Inuyasha. He rarely led her wrong and his senses were stronger. If something didn't settle well with him, he was probably right.

"Okay, Inuyasha, I'll be careful. But don't go around accusing her of something she didn't do just because you don't fully trust her!"

Ignoring Kagome's raised voice, Inuyasha leaned in and pecked her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Leaning his face against her cheek, "Thank you." He hugged her.

They parted and started walking to the cottage. don't

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah," asked Inuyasha.

"Sit, boy." Kagome nonchalantly commanded.

A flash of light followed a cacophonous THUD. Inuyasha was dragged into the dirt. He quickly pulled himself up with only one or two scrapes on his face.

"OI! What was that for?" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"For being rude to our guest!" Kagome yelled back.

From the cottage, the occupants could hear _lovely_ couple bicker. Tatsuhana made herself on the other side of the cottage so she couldn't hear it better. She knew they were arguing about her. Judging by how sorely Inuyasha was losing the argument, Tatsuhana determined who was the boss in the relationship. She expected him to weigh more with all of that fabric he wore. When she flipped him over, Tatsuhana barely felt any weight at all. Strange but what else was new?

"They're at it again, I see," sighed Kaede.

"Wonder what they're yelling at each other this time?"

"Never you mind, child. Sooner or later, those two will learn to go a day without barking down each others throats. Learn by example, Rin. Don't be like them."

Rather than answer straight away, Rin pointed her finger upwards at the sky. They looked up and Tatsuhana's attention was drawn there too. She time traveled. She was now trapped in five hundred years in the past. She just hefted a grown man (demon?) over her shoulder. She could believe all of that, but the thing floating down from the sky was not a thing that should have existed even here. It was bulbous flesh-colored balloon. Giant googly eyes took up half the balloon's circumstance. Beneath those, was a teeny, tiny mouth. Twigs hung from the sides in place of arms. Tatsuhana stared at it as it floated towards the ground, heading towards Kaede's hut. She didn't now whether to be confused or bewildered. Eye brow shot upwards and mouth agape, she went for both.

The cartoonish balloon glided downwards. Then, suddenly, in a puff of smoke, a small creature appeared with a ginkgo leaf on his head. He had the face of a human child. A pair of large cerulean eyes to offset the tuft of ginger hair tie in a pony-tail at the back of his head. A human child he couldn't be. His hands and feet were too tiny and those pointed ears. But let's not forget the tail. A fluffy, gorgeous tail stood behind him almost as big as his head. Tatsuhana couldn't help herself; her insides were all a quiver.

"I must draw you!" Tatsuhana was already frantically reaching into her bag for her sketchbook and pencils.

Three curious eyes watched her fish her things from her shoulder bag. Tatsuhana quickly rushed over to the small thing who looked frightened by her enthusiasm.

"May I draw you, please?" She even went as far as stooping in the dirt so she wouldn't be looming over him like a giant.

"Um...sure? I guess."

"Thank you so much!" Tatsuhana went over to the porch of the hut, sitting down. She tossed the bag from her and propped her knee up to support her sketchbook she pried open. She relished in the crisp pages of a new sketchbook as she turned to the first page. "Just be natural. Any pose is fine."

It was hard to be 'natural' with a woman like Tatsuhana fawning over him like an idol. Kagome and Inuyasha eventually arrived as well.

"I see you've met Tatsuhana, Shippo," said Kagome.

"You know this lady?" The creature jerked his thumb towards Tatsuhana.

"Please keep still. I don't want to mess this up," she chided.

"Shippo, this is Tatsuhana. She'll be...staying with us for a while."

"Where's she from? She's dressed like you used before the well stopped working." Asked Shippo, returning to his previous pose, whatever that may have been.

"Kagome, would you mind stepping aside, please? I'd like to get a good sketch and you're in the way."

"Oops, sorry." Kagome scooted aside to let Tatsuhana work.

At least the woman had found something to occupy her time rather than complain or sleep in. She was trying to keep herself from going insane. And taking everyone else with her. While everyone else went about their chores, Tatsuhana forced Shippo to stand for over an hour, with one break, before dismissing him.

"Can I see?" Shippo hoped onto her shoulder to look at the picture she drew.

Tatsuhana held it at an angle to let him get a better view. Rather than simply emphasis his cuteness and youth, she drew him as a curious onlooker. While childish, his features weren't drawn to overemphasis it. The Shippo she drew was nothing more than a portrait realistic portrait.

"Wow! That's pretty good. What else can you draw?"

* * *

Tatsuhana passed the rest of the day showing Shippo what she could do with a pad of paper and pencil. Eventually, Rin got curious too and joined them. Tatsuhana still felt nervous. She'd never been around kids or knew what to do with them. At least they were old enough to be able to keep still and didn't try her patience like so many others did. In that, she would be grateful.

In the evening, as the earth cooled and the sun started setting beyond the horizon, Tatsuhana walked with Kagome and Sango to the hot springs. She was given spare kimono, but judging by the size of the garment, Tatsuhana doubted it would be long enough to fit her. Still, a unconventionally shorter kimono was a lot better than laying about her still unwashed clothes. They walked to the springs with just Sango and Kagome chatting away.

Foliage protected them, mostly, from spies. Any peeping tom lurking in the shadows would have alerted them to his presence with only the smallest rustling of branches. Without walls, it didn't make Tatsuhana any more comfortable. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but she had been raised in an inn. That was how they earned an above average income. She never complained or lacked in necessities. A traditional inn where guests could relax in the hot springs. However, that didn't mean Tatsuhana was ever allowed to venture in there. There was also something odd and unnatural about disrobing in front of a couple strangers out in the woods. She barely knew either of these women to be confident in hoping in a hot spring with them. Kagome and Sango seemed more than comfortable in their own skin, which was more than Tatsuhana could say for herself. They'd already climbed in while she was still debating on whether or not to join them.

Then again, she hadn't showered in almost two days. She could already feel the oil forming in her hair and she'd been walking around without clean socks. Tatsuhana took a deep breath and exhaled as she untied the spare kimono given her. Which was just as well. Kaede pointed out that Tatsuhana was tall for a woman. She'd most likely never encountered a woman of Tatsuhana's size, not in such a small village like this.

"Tatsuhana, is everything alright?" Asked Sango.

Admittedly, Tatsuhana was kind of jealous of Sango's body. She gave birth to three kids and still maintained a great figure. Tatsuhana was thin compared to sum. She worked out and rode her bike almost everywhere she went. She was lean but she'd kill for some curves. Unfortunately, a diet of ramen noodles didn't provide the right nutritional value to add curves. Tatsuhana had her back to them, clutching the kimono to her just.

"Um, yeah. Just give me a minute. I'll be right there."

Swallowing hard, she turned and dropped the kimono on the ground. She looked over her shoulder. As far as she could tell, there weren't any creepy eyes peering through the bushes. Slipping her toe in, she tested the water for a moment before climbing in. Her muscles relaxed as if the water sapped away all of her stress. She felt the tension in her shoulders slowly ebb away.

"How are you adjusting?" Asked Sango.

Tatsuhana shrugged. "As best I can, considering."

"Do you remember anything strange happening to you that led you here?" Kagome edged closer to her.

Tatsuhana preferred if they all stayed in their own respective corners of the hot springs. She edged just a bit to keep Kagome at least arm's length apart. It wasn't anything to do with Kagome, Tatsuhana didn't feel ready to get _that_ close to anybody. They were all women here, but something about being that close to somebody she didn't know, dressed or undressed, didn't put Tatsuhana in her happy place.

"Let's see," Tatsuhana counted off on her fingers. "There was the fact that I started having weird dreams about powerful creatures. I spoke to a Chinese couple in their native tongue without ever knowing how I learned how to speak and read Chinese to. And I stopped a speeding car with own bare hands. That sort of thing."

"Speeding...car?" Sango's brows furrowed.

"It's a kind of vehicle," Kagome explained. "It goes very fast and it's made out of metal. In other words..."

"I shouldn't have been able to stop it when just my hands. I blacked out, thinking I was road kill. When I opened my eyes," Tatsuhana looked down at her hands. "There were hand-sized dents in the car and I didn't have a scratch on me. My bike, however, was a different story."

"What was that necklace you were wearing when you came through the well? Would it have anything to do with your fall?"

Instinctively, Tatsuhana's hand went to her throat. She'd been so busy moping or fighting off boredom to remember her necklace. If that old man at the shrine couldn't make much out of the coin, maybe somebody in this time period would? It couldn't hurt.

"My necklace? I completely forgot about it! Where'd you put it?"

"It's in a drawer. You were wearing it when you got drunk the other night. I thought you would be more comfortable in bed without it around your neck. Do you think it might have a clue?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know. It might. There was an old man at the shrine who couldn't translate it but said that it had some kind of energy and I shouldn't lose it."

"You must've met my Grandpa then!" Kagome turned to Sango. "Do you think Miroku might know someone who can translate what's on the necklace?"

She seemed to think for a moment. "He might, though it would take some time finding out."

"It's something, at least," Tatsuhana sighed.

* * *

 _So hot._ Tatsuhana wasn't given much choice for bunk mates. She would have to share a large bed with Kaede and Rin for the evening. Kagome had let her borrow hers when she'd fallen asleep drunk, but since she shared it with Inuyasha, he insisted on getting it back. Between the sweltering humidity of typical Japanese summer and the shared body heat, Tatsuhana lay awake, sweating a storm. Her kimono was too short and too tight. It stuck uncomfortably to her skin in all the wrong places.

"Ack." She hissed quietly.

Rin attacked Tatsuhana in her sleep. The girl twisted and turned in the bed. She had so much energy in broad daylight, it didn't surprised Tatsuhana all that much that Rin still had enough to toss around the bed. Kaede slept like a log; she didn't notice anything. Not even when Rin flung her arms out and smacked Tatsuhana right in the face. She wasn't going to wake up her bedmates over something Rin had no control over, but that doesn't mean she was sticking around for much longer.

Carefully, Tatsuhana crept out of bed. Rin curled up with the pillow she vacated. _bed-mates_

"More power to you, kid," she whispered.

Tip-toeing to the veranda facing the back, Tatsuhana slid it open. She opened it just enough to pass through, slip outside, and softly close it behind her. She sat down with a lonesome sigh. Tilting her head, she could count every star in the sky. Living in the city, she'd never be able to see them like this. She wished she could paint this. As it were, there wasn't enough light to even sketch by. Were candles a thing? They were, just not in the middle of nowhere. The silver light from the moon made for poor lighting no matter how bright it was.

Looking up, she saw the moon in its crescent form. For some reason, and she couldn't make sense of it herself, the crescent moon reminded her of something. No, not a _something_. A _someone_. Someone? Who could that be? Tatsuhana propped her chin in her hand. Who could it be?

A name...she couldn't shake it but she couldn't place it either. The harder she tried to get rid of these thoughts, the harder it became to get rid of them. There was something to that name she couldn't remember. She knew there was a name, there had to be. It couldn't just be that she was going crazy. There was a name on the tip of her tongue, she just couldn't place it.

Suddenly, a name came to her lips. A name she remembered Rin saying the day before. Tatsuhana's brain had been put on the rack. Somehow she'd heard that name before but couldn't place it.

"Sess-ho-maru." She tried it on her tongue. It sounded so strange, and yet so familiar.


	6. Chapter 6

"Um, ladies, we have a little problem here." Tatsuhana stuck her head out the shoji door. And only her head. There was no way she was going to let anyone see her like this.

Kagome and Sango reentered the hut. Tatsuhana displayed the snug-fitting kimono one of the villagers said they could spare until they got Tatsuhana a proper wardrobe. To their dismay, Tatsuhana was too tall and had such an odd figure. She was actually neither petite nor bulky. She developed some muscles but not enough fat. Rather than being proud of her figure, she struggled to make a kimono fit. The kosode given for her to wear underneath didn't fit either. It was too snug in all the wrong places. She could barely walk in it, and you can forget about walking around in it comfortably. On her, the full set hit mid-calf, much higher than it would fit on a normal woman. Both the undergarment and the outer layer wrapped around, but not well. It felt tight under her armpits, her waist, and chest. Too much of her cleavage showed for it to be either practical or modest. Tatsuhana wanted to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

This was not going to do it.

"I see what you mean," Sango stroked her chin. "You can't even properly walk around in it."

"Maybe if we let it out a little bit," suggested Kagome.

"That might help with the width, but not much the length." Tatsuhana pulled at the kosode's sleeve. "Even the sleeve's are too short. Geez! I thought I had enough trouble buying clothes before. At least in the future, they have more options. I can't even import anything in the 16th century! Not when I'm dirt poor."

"Do you know how to sew? Maybe we can get fabric?"

Tatsuhana sighed. "Yeah. I guess I don't have much of a choice. I'm pretty used to this situation. I'm too tall for most clothing stores. I make most of my own wardrobe anyway. I don't see why it should be any different five-hundred years into the past."

"Knock, knock," Miroku wrapped on the shoji door. "Are you decent?"

"Mostly," Tatsuhana sniped. She tried adjusting her clothes but the more she pulled in one direction, she'd go back to tugging in the other.

Miroku eyed her up and down, but quickly. He didn't let his eyes wander too long.

"I see what you mean. That's not quite going to cut it," he murmured.

"You don't say?" Tatsuhana said sarcastically.

"You're very tall for a woman. And muscular." He stated. "Most women in this era are very petite. Even the wives and daughters of peasants."

"I'm not muscular," Tatushana argued, "I'm...physically fit. Muscular is how you describe men."

"Fair enough," Miroku conceded, "But being so physically fit, as you say, you're still larger than most of the women here. You're more... _fit_ than they are. Despite not having much meat, everything looks small on you."

"We're going to have to get a supply of cloth, needles, and thread and make things from scratch," said Sango.

"At least until we figure out how to send me back down the well," Tatsuhana added.

Miroku nodded, but he didn't look very enthusiastic about the prospects. They needed more information which he couldn't provide at the moment. He said nothing else on the matter.

"I should have a small store of clothes for the time being. They're gifts from grateful personages who I've helped exorcise demons. They're mens' clothes but—"

"I'll take them!" Tatsuhana practically shouted. "Anything would be better than fussing around with these tight kimonos."

Miroku left and returned with a white kimono, a kosode, and a black hakama. He left just as quickly as before to let Tatsuhana change. Finally dressed, she stepped out in her clothes. They were a little roomy but the length was perfect. Kagome handed over a pair of sandals which Tatsuhana slipped on.

"Not quite what I imagined but at least I'm dressed," she said stepping off the porch.

Rin came abounding with an empty bucket.

"Ah! Miss Hana, you're dressed. Would you like to help me catch some fish in the river?" She held up her empty bucket.

She was grinning from ear to ear, happily waiting for Tatsuhana's response. Tatsuhana wasn't sure if she could ignore the energetic ball of cuteness that Rin could be. Her large eyes looked up almost pleadingly.

"Go on. We'll give you a tour of the village later. It's such a nice day," Sango gently pushed her towards Rin.

"Alright," Tatsuhana sighed, "Let's g-"

Rin had already grabbed her hand and started dragging her away. Kagome and Sango waved as Tatsuhana let the little girl pull her arm through the village. The walk took about twenty minutes. Rin guided her to the grassy riverbank and carefully trudged down the sloop. Tatsuhana took it one step at a time. One wrong move and she'd slid right into the river. She watched Rin pull her kimono sleeves up to her elbows and laid the bucket on the ground.

"Don't you have a fishing pole?"

"I do but I don't remember where I put it. Besides, I like doing it this way. I like how the water swims past my ankles. It kind of tickles!"

"If you say so." Tatsuhana plopped down on the bank, taking a seat in the grass.

Rin looked up, looking at her with a funny expression.

"Aren't you going to get in?"

 _And risk infection from polluted water? No thank you._ Tatsuhana thought. But she couldn't exactly tell the little girl that. Germ theory wouldn't be discovered for another couple of centuries. She couldn't hurt her feelings either.

"I'll watch you from here. I'll learn better that way." She didn't like lying, but what else was she supposed to say?

Rin didn't seem to mind. Her brief disappointment gave way to cheerful enthusiasm. She stepped into the river until it came up to her knees. She was so small, Tatsuhana feared she would be pulled into deeper waters. Scooting a little bit closer to the river, Tatushana watched as Rin grab fish. Mostly they were small trout. Rin grabbed them with all her strength and dropped them in the bucket. Tatsuhana felt the tiniest twinge of guilt watching the fish flop around in the bucket, gasping. After a while, they stopped moving.

"That's should be enough, shouldn't it?" Rin started climbing out of the river.

It was an impressive feat for a child. Rin managed to catch four or five trout and a couple smaller fish. Tatsuhana marveled at it. At Rin's age, she was falling off her bike. She certainly didn't know how to catch her own food.

"Have you been doing this long?"

Smiling, Rin nodded. "When my parents died, I didn't have people to look after me. I had to learn to do a lot of things on my own. But when I met Lord Sesshomaru, I didn't have to worry as much. He's helped me more than I can repay."

Rin tried to pick up the bucket but it was too full. It'd grown too heavy for her little arms to carry. Tatsuhana walked over to the river and grabbed it from Rin.

"Let me. You did all the hard work. I should at least help you carry it."

They climbed back up the riverbank. The ground felt solid enough not to worry about slipping. If it had rained, Tatsuhana would be in trouble. She wasn't used to wearing traditional clothing as every day wear. She'd only wore kimonos on special occasions. As they started down the worn footpath towards the village, she couldn't help but wonder. That name Rin used earlier. _Sesshomaru._ What did it mean to her, Tatsuhana? It was like she could almost picture the face in her mind but as soon as an image started to form, it faded into black.

"Rin?"

She looked up, curious.

"What's this Sesshomaru person like? You talk about him a lot."

"He's the demon who brought me back to life!" Rin didn't even show the least bit of prudence.

On the way to the village, Rin recounted the tale of how she and this Lord Sesshomaru met. Tatsuhana listened carefully. He sounded like a frosty character who had a secret beating heart beneath the layers of rock and ice. Rin spoke so highly of him, Tatsuhana wondered if the girl was in fact infatuated with the demon. A shiver ran down her spine. Crushing on a demon armed to the teeth, or rather a demon armed with sharp teeth. All of this talk of magic swords bringing people back from the dead left Tatsuhana more anxious to get back to her own time period.

Kagome met them at Kaede's hut.

"I almost forgot. Here, I found your necklace for you!" She held it up by its leather thongs.

"Thank you so much. I was starting to feel naked without it." Tatsuhana took it and tied it around her neck.

It was such a strange thing for her to say. She wore the necklace only once in while. Only recently did she start thinking about it. As the coin rested against her throat, a warmth spread through body. Comforting, it felt like she was being wrapped in a fleece blanket on a cold winter's night. As promised, Kagome and Sango took her around the village, Sango's kids in tow. Tatsuhana was forced to walk with the twin's clinging to her hands. She smiled even in spite of her discomfort. The point wasn't to make these people dislike her. If she wanted their help to get back home, she would put up with just about anything. The tour took up most of the day walking around the perimeters of the village. Sango returned her children to her own hut and left Kagome to finish.

The sun set behind them. Hues of orange and yellow bled into the blue skies. Villagers finished up their work in they dying light. They each trudged home after a long day's work. While it had been a pleasant, breezy day, Tatsuhana felt sweaty and uncomfortable in her kimono and hakama set. The layers weren't as thick as they could be, but she still wasn't used to wearing such things. Evening birds sang them home.

Tatsuhana chopped vegetables. They were feeding her even though rations were spread thin. It was the least she could do. Things seemed to become as normal as they could get, despite Tatsuhana's circumstances. She ate quietly as Rin chatted away in her ear. Everything went through one ear and out the other. Tatsuhana was by no means a great conversationalist. To be honest, she preferred sitting alone with her sketchpads. She nodded occasionally to indicate that she was partially listening. As she plucked a lump of rice from her bowl, a sharp pain erupted on her neck.

"Ow!" She exclaimed. She dropped her chopstick and slapped her hand over where it hurt.

The dinner guests stopped what they were doing at her sudden cry. She moved her hand, thinking to find a dead mosquito smooshed in her palm. Well, it was the _size_ of a bug.

"Myoga! I thought I told you not to do that with guests!" Kagome glared at the pint-sized demon in Tatsuhana's hand.

The demon was flattened like a disk then quickly inflated. Tatushana shrieked, tossing him away from her. She scrambled away from the table. Fox demons, dog demons, those she could handle. Creepy bug demons, not so much.

Myoga the flea rubbed his head. He got to his feet and patted down his kimono with all four arms.

"Forgive me, Lady Kagome, I thought I smelled such fragrant blood, I couldn't help myself." He turned his attention to Tatsuhana at last. "And who might you be?"

"None of your business, flea!" Tatsuhana turned white as a sheet. Though the list was short, bugs were at the top of a list of things she hated most of all.

"Myoga, this is Tatsuhana. She's visiting us."

"Visiting?" Myoga turned to Kagome again.

"Yeah," she paused, "She...came through the well."

His thin brows furrowed. "The well? But I thought it went dormant?"

"That's we thought too but..."

"Here I am," Tatsuhana stood away from the table.

Her hand went to the necklace at her throat. She stroked the old coin with her thumb. Myoga's eyes flicked to her. Brows still furrowed, but his attention was less on her and more on the coin she thumbed.

"That necklace. I think I've seen it before. May I see it?"

Tatsuhana clung to her necklace even more so. "I don't think so."

"It will only take a moment. Please," he asked.

Reluctantly, she untied it in the back. She would not step any closer towards him. Tatsuhana tossed it towards the table where he caught it in mid-air. From where she stood, she watched him mull over the coin, mumbling to himself. After a while, she started getting impatient. Tatsuhana felt uncomfortable without it. For whatever reason, the necklace's power seemed to grow while she was stuck in the past. She needed it back.

"Can I have it back now?" She held out her hand, cautiously taking one step forward.

"How did you come about possessing this coin?" Myoga asked.

Brows knitted close together, "I've always had it."

"Always?" He repeated.

"Yes," Tatsuhana sighed, "I've had it for as long as I can remember. And I'd like to have it back now."

"Hm. Interesting."

Myoga hopped over onto her shoulder in the blink of an eye and put the necklace back in her hands. Before saying another word, he vanished seemingly into thin air. Tatsuhana took several moments to collect herself before returning to the table. She tied the necklace behind her neck. Immediately, relief settled in. Being kept from the necklace did something to her, and she didn't like it. For years, it sat in her drawer except for special occasions or worn as a good luck charm. After all this time, why did she develop an almost unhealthy relationship for it?

"What was that about?" Inuyasha interrupted her thoughts.

Huffing, she reclaimed her seat and started eating again. She was unusually quiet from that point on.

* * *

Myoga flitted through the shadows. Desperate and on a mission, he took few breaks on his journey. A few miles from the village, there he found his target sitting beneath a tree. His eyes were closed but he was not resting. That was for his vassal.

Sesshomaru noticed him before Myoga managed to get too close. He snatched up the flea in mid-air, holding him aloft between two powerful claws.

"This had better be good." Sesshomaru's voice was like a blast of winter wind.

"Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru, but I come baring a message."

He didn't so much as blink. A low growl erupted in his throat but he did not act. Myoga flinched in anticipation of Sesshomaru's signature poison seeping through his claws.

"If that idiotic half-breed wants something from me, he should come and ask himself instead of sending a measly flea." He flicked Myoga like a dust mote from his kimono.

Myoga landed as gracefully as he could after tumbling through the air. He righted himself and approached again. But well outside of Sesshomaru's arm length.

"Lord Inuyasha didn't send me. As a matter of fact, I came on my own. There has been an unforeseen development, Lord Sesshomaru."

"What kind of development, flea?"

"In your half-brother's village, there is a young woman who has traveled from a great distance."

"I fail to see the importance of that."

"She bares a striking resemblance to the late Lord Noburu. And she wears the necklace forged from her father's fang and mother's talon. The engravings are too similar to be a mere duplicate!"

Sesshomaru cocked a frosty brow. He adjusted his body against the tree. Myoga jumped further back and had to contain his sigh of relief when he realized Sesshomaru wouldn't waste efforts of killing even a flea demon such as himself.

"I still fail to see the importance. Even if she is the lost daughter of Noburu, what does that have to do with me?"

Myoga stared at him curiously. "But Lord Sesshomaru...Didn't she...Weren't the two of you..."

"What is in the past, stays in the past. What happened then changes nothing. For all I know, she is a spineless courtier. I have no need for a woman is nothing more than a pretty adornment. Be gone or I will deem it worth what little effort it will take to erase you from this earth."

Sesshomaru watched Myoga bow and flee (no pun intended) back into the night. Neither Jaken or the steed stirred. Good. He liked it better that way. The fewer questions Jaken asked the better. Very few things irritated him more than a nosy vassal. No one should know about his past relationship with a certain dragon lord's daughter. For all intents and purposes, she was nothing to him.

He closed his eyes again. He drifted into a meditative state to cool his temper. Against his wishes, a pair of jade green eyes stared at him, reaching from deep in the shadows of his memory. Sesshomaru snapped his eyes open. He stood up from his repose, startling Jaken from sleep.

"M-my lord, where are you going?" A panicked Jaken stammered as he jumped to his small feet.

"Off to kill something," he growled, leaping into the air and out of sight.


	7. Chapter 7

"Tatsuhana! Tatsuhana!"

She heard someone calling for her. Was it part of her dream?

"Tatsuhana!"

 _Five more minutes._

Someone shook her shoulder, jostling her. Slowly, Tatsuhana broke from the chains of sleep. She opened her eyes and sat up. Her back, shoulders, and neck were sore. Horribly sore. Looking at the floor, the reason seemed pretty obvious. Pencils spread out over the deck and a sketchbook pulled wide open. Tatsuhana groaned. She turned to Kagome who woke her.

"What on earth are you doing out here? Did you sleep out all night?" She asked.

Tatsuhana gathered up her pencils and stuffed them into the bag she found. She didn't remember gathering her things and bringing them outside. Then again, she rarely remembered what happened in those twilight moments where sleep and consciousness blurred together. She looked at the drawing she made. Furrowing her brows, she could make two figures. A tall, familiar figure and a kneeling one with their back to the former. She was surprised how clean and even the lines looked despite having obviously drawn them in the dark. Looking around, she spotted no lamp. Perhaps night vision was just another one of her hidden abilities.

She flipped the sketchbook closed before Kagome could take a look at it. Along with her other things, she stuffed it into her bag. Tatsuhana rose to her feet. She rolled her shoulders and popped her neck in hopes of easing the soreness there. At least if she woke in bed with obvious signs of drawing in her sleep, she had the comfort of a soft bed and pillows. It was painfully obvious that she crept outside and started drawing on the deck. It wasn't so much that she woke up in the middle of the night to draw, it was that she actually had enough conscious thought to go outside to do it, probably not to disturb the others.

"I don't think I was sleeping exactly," she said, shouldering her bag. They made their way back inside the hut. "Sometimes, and I know this is going to sound weird, I think I draw in my sleep. I'll wake up in bed in the morning and find pencils scattered over my blankets, my sketchbook open, and graphite smearing the side of minds."

Tatsuhana turned her hand and showed Kagome the dull gray material smudged along the side of it all the way up to her pinkie.

"How long has this been going on?"

Shrugging, Tatsuhana answered, "For as long as I can remember. I started drawing when I was a kid, so I guess it started around that time. Usually I end up really weird things. Like I was drawing straight from my subconscious."

Small feet thundered from inside the house. Ren saw them entering and ran to Tatsuhana. She'd barely had time to set down her things before Ren grabbed hold of her arm.

"You're going to help me with chores today! First, we need to get extra fish cuz we have so many mouths to feed. Then, we'll help with the rice and feed the chickens. I'd be careful with some of them, though. They like to peck at your toes."

Tatsuhana shot Kagome a pleading look from over her shoulder. Ren dragged her outside where they put on their sandals. Ren talked her ears off before the day was through. She couldn't stop. Tatsuhana answered the girl's questions to the best of her abilities but was quickly becoming tired. Ren seemed fascinated with her and rarely left her side. They went to bed and the cycle repeated all over the next day. And the day after that and the day following. Tatsuhana went to the well when she had the chance just to get some peace and quiet. The well remained as silent as ever. It was when she felt the days bleeding into one another that she began to lose hope. Nothing new had developed and whatever remnant of energy it used to bring her here was now completely spent. It became nothing more than a dried up well.

Her body was a sore mess every day. Never in her whole life did she perform so much physical labor. When she flopped into bed at night, Tatsuhana was asleep just when her head hit the pillow. Though it quickly became obvious she wouldn't stay that way for long. Kagome wasn't the first to find her sleeping outside. Most of them had. Inuyasha complained as that seemed to be his default position. Tatsuhana bit her tongue when he did that. She couldn't afford to make enemies, not when she was stuck and had no one else to depend on. There were times—too many—times when she wanted to do more than flip him onto his back. Tatsuhana could only grind her teeth and ignore him.

Eventually, she got her hands on a weaving loom, courtesy of Miroku's generous benefactors. At least she could make clothes that actually fit her now. But while she worked the threads making basic white kimonos, Tatsuhana paused. Kagome had been in the room to cool off on the summer day when she noticed Tatsuhana sitting in front of the brand new loom. Cautiously, she walked over.

Tatsuhana wore a strange face. Her brows were furrowed and she chewed her lower lip. There was a chaotic dance happening in her eyes. Kagome could see clashing emotions building.

"Is everything alright?" She put a hand on Tatsuhana's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"I don't know how I'm doing this," Tatsuhana murmured. Her fingers shook as she ran them up and down the stretched threads. "I'm from the twenty-first century, I shouldn't know how to do this. My fingers...they're just moving on their own. Like mechanical. Going through the motions. I shouldn't know how to do this!"

She shot up to her feet. Kagome couldn't catch up to her; Tatsuhana moved too fast on those long legs of hers. Kagome caught sight of her slipping on her sandals by the front entrance, but couldn't stop her from wandering off. The last she saw of the other woman climbed up a hill and disappeared.

Tatsuhana didn't think when she walked away from the cottage. Simply put, she couldn't. A dense fog muddled her brain. She tried to remember how and when she learned how to weave cloth. It certainly wasn't on any curriculum at school and her foster-mother never taught her such skills either. The fog pressed against her brain. Pressure built and built until a throbbing headache pounded against her skull. Tatsuhana took in the fresh air, gulping down like a man in the desert finding water. She walked until legs nearly gave out beneath her.

Sweat trickled down the side of her neck. Flopping down into the grass, she sat down beneath a shady tree. Dark green leaves sheltered her from the burning sun. Rubbing her temples, she tried to push the fog back. While she wondered about how she learned to weave—among other things—Tatsuhana pushed the thought out. The more she thought about it, the worse her headache became. The harder she tried to remember, the harder the pressure in her head increased. Silence. Silence would bring peace of mind.

Tatsuhana rested her head back against the tree. Though the hard bark didn't make the best pillow, she made do. Slowly, she closed her eyes and tried to think about nothing. It is a lot harder than one might think. There were just so many thoughts and memories buzzing around her head. She couldn't sort them out and put them in their own neat, little boxes for later. They were shouting all at once. Like that one time the angry couple two doors down from her every time they got into an argument. It was surreal to think she would never hear the couple fighting just down the hall. What would happen to her belongings when the landlord decided to empty out her apartment?

The shouting in her head quieted down. Not all at once but eventually all she had to think about was breathing and checking out her surroundings. Tatsuhana still felt odd. There were more birds than she ever recalled hearing in her life. The absence of sound felt like a yawning void. It was amazing and terrifying how easily she could lose herself in the quiet.

She let herself go if only for a short while. Just long enough to clear her thoughts. A rest, she would take a little rest out here in the open and would return to the village before it got dark.

* * *

 _Long, graceful fingers plucked at silken strings pulled taut on a loom. Moon-white hands worked wooden mechanisms that pulled together bits of string into a handsome garment. Even up close, you could barely make out the weaving pattern in the fibers. The threads were bound tightly together to form something not only beautiful, but durable. Two figures sat before this loom. One working with the material and the other to observe._

 _Black hair cascaded down the taller figure's back and pooled on the floor. She wore bright red kimono. Jade green eyes fixed on the loom, but she occasionally glanced at the child sitting next to her. The little girl watched as she wove the threads together, intrigued by the process. She kept her eyes peeled on the garment that was slowly taking shape._

" _I want you to watch closely," said the woman. "I want you to know how to do this. You will be in charge of not only your own clothes, but those of your husband's and children. You will want to make them strong yet beautiful."_

 _Without effort, she reached upwards. Her fingers did not appear so delicate with the sharpened nails against the soft white. She took great care not to touch the half-formed kimono with her claws._

" _Why can't I pay a servant to do it?"_

 _The woman looked at the girl who looked back. Her eyes mirrored those belonging to the woman. She turned to her work again._

" _Because there will be those who would disdain such work. Not because they are lazy but because they would refuse to do it for_ you _. You must learn not to rely on others, my flower. You cannot trust yourself in the care or dependence of someone else, not even your husband."_

 _The girl's brows furrowed. What her mother just said was the exact opposite of what other little girls were being taught. Was it not a woman's duty to serve her father first and her husband later?_

" _But I thought I was supposed to be cared for by my husband?"_

" _Normally, yes. But," the mother sucked in a breath, "I would see you accomplished and capable should something happen. You cannot rely on others your whole life, child. Your husband would be bound to die eventually. You must learn to do things for yourself."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because there are those who would harm you. Those who hate your existence. They would see you dead if given the chance. There are many, too many, whom you cannot trust. Your safest bet is to learn as many skills as you possibly can, regardless if it is_ appropriate _," the woman practically spat out the word, "For girls. You will learn that the world is cruel and you cannot depend on anyone but yourself and your husband, if you are wise."_

" _Would Father approve of me learning how to fight?"_

 _The woman paused at the loom. She did not look at the child waiting for the answer. Sadness washed over her._

" _I think he would. He would have wanted you to know how to defend yourself against rakes and fiends and to protect your future children while your husband was away. Yes, I think he would have been proud to teach you those things. Now, focus on the threads. Watch and learn, flower. Watch my hands."_

* * *

Tatsuhana shivered when she woke up. The crystal blue skies changed to dark starry night. Panicked, she shot up to her feet. She whipped around hoping to see in which direction she came. Awash in shadows, all the paths looked the same.

She started down the path that looked most familiar, but shadows are deceiving. Tatsuhana didn't put a lot of thought into whichever direction she walked; she _hoped_ this was the right way.

A while later, she realized too late that it certainly wasn't. None of the trees looked familiar. Illuminating only some of her path, the moon rose higher in the sky. Tatsuhana walked slowly through the woods. With no light to guide her, she was a sitting duck. The smart thing to do was to stay put until someone found her. She picked a tree and sat down. Bringing her legs up to her chest, Tatsuhana hugged her legs to keep warm. The forest around her was filled with strange nighttime sounds. Even the cicadas were wide awake. Tatsuhana tried not to think about all the creepy-crawly things. She sat in the dirt, waiting. Waiting.

" _Hello there, precious thing,_ " a voice hissed in her ear.

Tatsuhana jumped and sprinted from the tree. In the dark, she didn't see the treacherous root which snagged her ankle. A moment later she was eating dirt. She was dazed for but a moment just in time to watch the tall pale figure step into the moonlight. He might have been beautiful had his snake-like eyes stared down at her like a hot meal.

Swallowing hard, she dared to meet his gaze.

Golden eyes with dark slits bore down at her. Ink-black hair streamed down his shoulders. He wore a grand kimono and armor built almost more for theatrical purposes than having any practicality on the battlefield. He had pointed ears perfect for hearing her running miles away and sharp claws to peel the skin clean off her bones. And his teeth...Oh god his teeth! Knife sharp fangs protruded from his gums. He licked his lips, flicking his forked tongue as if tasting her fear in the air. Tatsuhana dragged her gaze from his eyes only to stare horrified at the fangs in his mouth.

"My, my," the demon cooed. "What a delectable meal I've found."

Tatsuhana scrambled to get away. The demon was faster. He knelt in front of her. His hands planted on either side of her hips. Her cheeks turned fifty new shades of red as the demon drew his face closer to hers. His eyes flicked upwards and stared at her eyes.

"What pretty eyes you have. Like pieces of jade."

Tatsuhana swallowed hard. She wanted the ground beneath her to open up and bury her. Anything to get away. She couldn't outrun this thing. Her eyes couldn't see as well in the dark. He would tackle her to the ground before she got far.

Cocking his head to the side, "Lost for words, woman? Then, let's see what it will take to make you scream?"

Tatsuhana shook her hand. Crawling backwards from the demon, she scrambled in the dirt before getting to her feet. She dove into the trees. A futile effort on her part. Not long after, she heard the demon following close behind, tearing through the forest after her.

She felt his hungry eyes staring at her back. Branches stung as her skin collided with them. Droplets warmed her cheeks. Her kimono ripped at the sleeves as she pushed all manner of shrubbery out of her way. Her legs pumped faster but the demon was so much faster.

His arm wrapped snugly around her waist. Hulling her to the ground, Tatsuhana reached to claw at his face. Fight, she had to fight. His large hand seized control of both her wrists and yanked them above her head. Tapered fingers held strong like iron shackles. Tears welled up. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. Its sound made the demon smile.

"Up close, your eyes are even more beautiful. Especially tinged with fear." With his free hand, he ran his claws down her throat. Deftly to avoid making her bleed—yet. He grazed her flesh and gave rise to so many goosebumps.

"P-please," she whimpered.

Tatsuhana pleaded silently. She stared back at a hungry face and watched his eyes make a feast of her body. Tremors erupted. She shut her legs together as tight as she could make them, clenching her thighs. Wiggling and trashing about made him hungrier. He enjoyed watching it. His smile said it all for him. Tatsuhana gave up and lay there. She cried at not being strong enough, cried that these last moments would make death a mercy.

His strong but slender hand reached her chest. The demon palmed the side of her breast. Slowly, experimentally. Tatsuhana's felt her whole body go still at his touch. Nausea punched her in the gut. She slammed shut her eyes to keep his memory from burning in her brain.

Neither of them noticed the footsteps prodding the earth. Tatsuhana heard a whip crack in the air and suddenly the demon above her went slack. His head rolled off to the side. She screamed as it thudded next to her. Tatsuhana wasted no time getting to her feet and putting distance between her and the dead body. Once again, she tore through the forest. She ran and kept running until she spotted fires burning in the distance. Fire meant people, people meant rescue. If she could convince them to help her...

Tatsuhana didn't look back. She ran headed straight for the firelight. Campfires burning in the middle of the forest didn't ring any alarm. She slowed her pace to a walk to keep the strangers from thinking she was a madman running around the woods late at night. Cold air nipped at the cuts in her face and hands. Dark imprints left by the demon bruised her wrists. Her fingers stung as she pushed branches aside.

The campfires grew brighter. Like lighthouses in a stormy sea, guiding her to safety. Tatsuhana climbed over bramble and root to get to them. The fires burned so bright, she almost had to shield her eyes. She descended a little hill. Poking her head out of the bushes.

Campfires illuminated enough. More than enough. Rather than see an army sitting down to rest for the night or travelers who couldn't find an inn, Tatsuhana looked at a troop of ruffians. Their clothes were dirty and threadbare. Muscle-bound thieves carrying weapons of all varieties. Scars of all sizes marred their faces and bodies. There were some who were content to sleeping in the dirt with nothing more than their knapsack for a pillow. Covered wagons and horses were guarded by the most gruesome looking thugs, each carrying no more than two swords at their hip.

The fires showed more than just a troop of wandering criminals. Tatsuhana's hands clenched at her sides when she saw the pale, frightened faces of two dozen women huddled in a group. They looked dirty and worn but otherwise unharmed.

Tatsuhana backed away. She couldn't help them. Not as she was now. If she could make it to the village, she'd tell them what she saw. There was no way she was going to keep what she saw to herself. She edged away from the campsite, careful to make her footsteps unheard. Tatsuhana turned to sprint back through the woods, and collided with something heavy.

Stunned for a moment, Tatsuhana looked to see what she ran into. Her nose had smashed into a solid plate of chest armor. A grim, grizzly face smirked down at her. Tatsuhana stood almost six feet tall, give or take an inch. The man blocking her path couldn't be shorter than seven. He grabbed her arms before she could make a break for it. Dragging her to the camp, she heard the lewd banter and whistles from the men as they passed by. She thought he would dump her with the other women, but the man dragged her past them. Tatsuhana struggled against his iron-clad grip as soon as she realized that he had other plans.

She was pulled into a large clearing where a red tent stood. A matching carriage of equally gaudy stature stood nearby. Tied to a pair of trees, an ox chewed on the grass. Tatsuhana was pushed inside the tent and forced on her knees. The tent had room for a small dais and a sleeping area. Behind a thin bamboo curtain, a man sat on a bench-like chair while he looked over some scrolls and smoked from a long pipe. Tatsuhana choked on the bitter-sweet smell that pervaded every inch of the interior.

"Kosuke, what is the meaning of this?" Said the man behind the curtain.

The thug knelt beside her. Bowing his head all the way to the floor, he grabbed the back of Tatsuhana's and pressed her forehead to the dirt floor.

"I found this one wandering around the camp. I thought she was a man until she turned around. I thought you would want to examine her for yourself."

The tent erupted with the sound of rustling parchment. Tatsuhana heard the man behind the curtain suck in a deep breath from his pipe and exhale. A cloud of reddish smoke filled the air; she choked on the cloying vapors.

"Let me see your face girl," he ordered.

Tatsuhana hesitated to obey. Men in this era could do whatever they wanted to women, and she was without any means to defend herself. Meanwhile, Kosuke wore three swords on his hip and she was sure the man behind the bamboo screen had just as many. She raised her head and peered through the curtain. The space between the slats couldn't even let an ant crawl in between. She could see vague shapes of furniture and the man in question. Tatsuhana watched his silhouette draw another breath from his pipe, exhaling slowly this time. Was it the lighting or her imagination that made his hair appear red? She saw none of his features. All that she could tell from this side of the screen was that he was a tall, limber, and physically fit individual.

"Those eyes..."

By the sound of his voice, Tatsuhana couldn't tell if he meant to suppress his shock.

"Sir?" Kosuke cautioned to break the awkward silence now hanging in the air.

"Do not put her with the others. Tie her legs and hands. Tomorrow morning, put her on the ox carrying my carriage. I repeat that she is not to be put with the others, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Inuyasha pressed his nose against the tree and ground.

"She's was here last night. The scent goes through those trees over there."

Kagome and Miroku followed him into the woods. Not long after, they found a body. Its head cut clean off. Kagome clapped her hands over her mouth. The demon hadn't been dead for very long but later it wouldn't likely be found thanks to others picking the corpse clean. Inuyasha didn't doubt that they would find bones by sunset. Upon ahead, Tatsuhana's blood tinted the air. Not much to be considered worrisome, but she was hurt somewhere.

They had searched the forests around the village almost all night. It wasn't until morning when they could see that they set out with some supplies to go looking for Tatsuhana. Kagome blamed herself, perhaps a little too much. If Kagome had watched where her more closely, if she drilled the warnings into the other woman's skull more firmly, Tatsuhana wouldn't be out her lost and alone and having no means to survive. Inuyasha led them to an abandoned campsite. Half a dozen campfires were cold by the time they reached them. In the dirt, what looked like hundreds of footprints stomped through the moist earth.

"Through here!" Inuyasha called before he dashed into a clearing. He sniffed the air though nothing appeared to show any signs of Tatsuhana's presence. Not until he stooped in the grass and picked up a sandal. Tatsuhana's sandal. "She was definitely here. Along with several others."

"Others?" Kagome gulped. That didn't sound good.

"Several men. Some women. And a fox demon."


	8. Chapter 8

She couldn't get the taste out of her mouth. Like something awful slithered past her tongue and down her throat. Tatsuhana awoke to blurred vision that wouldn't go away no matter how many times she blinked. Colors were the only thing she could make out with any kind of clarity. The roof above her head looked brighter than what she'd become used to living and sleeping in Kaede's hut. What startled her was the near silence again. No villagers bustling around trying to get their chores done. She couldn't hear children playing or cocks crowing. There were footsteps and movement but nothing she heard before.

When her vision cleared, Tatsuhana turned her head. From what she could tell, she was in a large room with high walls and narrow windows. Oil lamps burned behind red screens and gave the room a romantic glow. Despite the ambiance or because of it, her stomach felt like a lead weight. She tried to lift her hand to pull the heavy blankets she found on top of her, but it was as if someone tied heavy stones around her arms. Tatsuhana lifted her feet to kick the blankets away, and found the same situation happening to her legs. Everything below her neck was too heavy for her. She lay there in the dim red lighting.

More details came to her that turned her blood cold. Not far from her was a raised dais with a very large bed. Bedecking it were several red and pink silk pillows. Scattered about the room were silk screens of lacquered wood and erotic art. Tatsuhana blushed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that she had been captured and sold to a brothel. She swore and begged to whatever god might be listening to loosen the spell on her limbs. The blankets added an unnecessary weight and made it all the more difficult at the sun rose higher in the day creating a heat wave in the room. Sweat trickled down her face and neck not just from her efforts. Her hakama were missing but she still wore both kimonos. It was only a _slight_ relief in that regard.

Little by little, strength returned to her body. Whatever she'd been given faded. Her upper torso came first. Around noon, she could sit up on the futon they laid her out. A while after that, she pulled herself out of bed and wobbled for the door. Every step was an effort. To be honest, she doubted she could sneak past the front door in her condition. Invisible iron chains tethered her ankles to heavy weights. She trudged on. All she needed was a some sense of what she had to work with. Get a basic layout of the brothel, what room they stuck her in, and how many guards they planted. For her sake, getting that much would be worth the sensations stabbing at her legs with each movement.

She crossed the room, sweating. Pressed against the wall by the sliding door, Tatsuhana rested for a moment. Footsteps prowled outside her door. She held her breath as she waited for them to enter. They trod away, letting her sigh. Taking a deep breath, she latched her fingers against the tiny opening and slowly pushed it open.

If the room they kept her in felt stifling, the heady air wafting through the crack she made was unbearable by comparison. The scent of sake, sweat, and opium made her head spin. Tatsuhana covered her mouth and nose with her elbow, holding her arm tight against her face. It didn't help her poor eyes as they watered at the cacophony of smells. She pushed the door open just a little further, enough to poke her head out.

Clouds of reddish smoke blurred her view. Sounds of laughter, men and women, filled the halls. Music played from down below. Armed guards, much better dressed than the thugs who kidnapped her in the first place, walked up and down the three-story mezzanine. They went unarmed except for a short sword and seemed unfazed by the clouds of smoke billowing from the lowest level. By the sounds of it, it seemed like some sort of party or court of depravity going on downstairs.

"Hey! You!" One of those guards shouted.

Tatsuhana slammed shut the sliding door. She made for the bed but the door slid open again with a thud that shook her bones. Three guards marched into the room. Her knees were buckling by the time they seized her. Her body wasn't nearly strong enough to resist. They dragged her down to the base level of the castle-like structure. A section of the first floor had been cut away to make a large area lower than the rest. The guards guided her down three short stairs before dumping her at the foot of a backless throne. Though the bamboo screen hid his face the first time, Tatsuhana recognized the red hair streaming over his shoulders.

"We caught her trying to escape, my lord," said one of the guards.

The red-haired man stared at her. He took a drag from his long red pipe which had the head of a dragon one end. He released a cloud of smoke like a dragon. The corner of his mouth quirked at the heated gaze she shot at him.

"I doubt that very much. I assume by now she realizes she was drugged sometime last night. She looks much too clever to be ignorant of that fact."

 _That's why my body doesn't work. These bastards actually drugged me!_

"It's going to be in your system at least until tomorrow morning." The red-haired man turned to her. "Escape is ill-advisable until then."

"What do you want from me?" She hissed.

His godsdamned smirk boiled her blood. For a moment, she thought she saw his eyes flicker from black to something unnatural but decided that the drugs he was unleashing into the air had more to do with it. He left his throne and crept into the enclave in the floor. With preternatural grace, he bent in front of her. A slender yet calloused hand grabbed her chin. Forced to look up at him, Tatsuhana had to cool her temper. It took every bit of her self-control not to spit in his eye which was so temptingly close. On any other day, she _might_ have considered this pig of a man to be handsome. Not unlike the figure she'd been drawing since middle school. He had a pretty face. And she'd wish someone would come along and break his nose just so he would a little less perfect.

"What every man wants from a beautiful woman, that's what I want," he answered.

The men lounging around them and the guards behind her chuckled all at once, almost laughing at her expense. The grip he held on her chin was too strong for her to break. He couldn't be human.

"Those green eyes of yours make you too valuable. Priceless, in fact. I couldn't bring myself to sell you. I'm going to keep you for myself, and it will be for a _very_ long time."

His dark eyes roved over her body. A wave of nausea hit Tatsuhana in the stomach as she _felt_ his eyes peeling off the kimonos that protected her body. She was busy glaring at him that she didn't notice his other hand crawl up her arm. Deft fingers smoothed over her shoulder and touched her neck. Still weak from the drugs, Tatsuhana didn't move fast enough to get out of his reach. He ran his blunt fingernails against the side of her throat. Cringing, she arched her neck to get away but opened herself up for an attack. He moved his face against her neck. Tatsuhana grabbed his kimono to push him away. His mouth pressed firmly against the spot where her neck met shoulder. Frozen still, her blood turned icy. She'd never been intimate with a man; never even had her first kiss. Even though her blood turned cold, heat soared to her cheeks, painting them bright red.

With the ease of an experienced lover, he kissed her neck. Blunt teeth nibbled on her exposed flesh. Tatsuhana bit her tongue to keep any and all sound escaping. She wanted to scream; her body reacted differently. Her heart pounded and she feared the worst. That she _liked_ this. He was a complete stranger who kidnapped her and sold other women into sexual slavery. Just because her body thought it felt good, didn't mean she had to give in to it.

The man released her. He rose quietly and stood, lording his power over her. His eyes lingered on the spot where he more than just kissed her. They looked at the spot on her neck in the same way an admirer looks over a piece of art. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her. Guards collected her from the floor. Tatsuhana was so dismayed and disgusted with herself she didn't fight back. They tossed her back onto her bed, the small futon on the floor and not the larger bed sitting on the dais. Her toes tingled; she could barely feel her legs. Slowly, she began to feel the blood pumping. Stretching now and then kept her body from going stiff. Pale-faced servants brought her food. Thanks to her little stunt, guards were posted outside of the room. The windows were too small crawl out of and hitting the ground below would break bones or kill her. While that seemed a more pleasant alternative than the one laid before her, Tatsuhana wasn't about to kill herself in an escape.

* * *

They watched the mini castle for hours. Baking in the sun, they hid in the grass on top of the hill overlooking it. Armed guards and thugs stood outside the perimeter. Palanquins and carriages went back and forth from this place. To Kagome's horror, it was mostly men stepping in and leaving freely. There was no sign of a woman unless she was slumped against a man. Unlit red lanterns hung from the walls and steeples. From behind tiny windows, matching curtains fluttered in the wind like beguiling flags.

"How did this happen?" She murmured.

This place...this awful place. Kagome shuddered thinking about how close it was to the village. To many villages. No doubt that was the idea. In a time of war, farmers couldn't afford to feed every mouth. Not when rice taxes were demanded of them at such steepness. It wouldn't be difficult to convince a desperate man to sell his daughter to a brothel. And if they couldn't convince them, it would be so easy for this many men to ravage through a village and take the women they wanted and leave the rest to burn. Warlords and shoguns were too busy plotting against each other and preparing for political backstabbing to bother with the lives of peasants.

"It doesn't matter," said Inuyasha, growling. "We're gonna get Hana out of there and burn that place to the ground."

"How?" Kagome couldn't take her eyes off the brothel. Even in broad daylight, the sight nauseated her. All of those poor women, subjugated and subjected to what amounted to torture. And Tatsuhana was among them.

She tried not to think about what went on behind those walls. What layer upon layer of depravity was heaped upon those unwilling victims. Sometimes, she really hated this century. Tatsuhana was right about one thing, in the future most women didn't have to suffer through this. Kagome could only pray that Tatsuhana had been spared the worst of it.

Inuyasha started to get up from his perch. Miroku grabbed him and pulled him back down.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed under his breath as if he would draw attention to them by speaking too loud.

"What does it look I'm doin'? I'm goin' down there! What are you doing?"

"We can't go down there, swinging swords like mad men! If we attack now, we'll be putting all of those women inside in grave danger. You could potentially put them in even more danger than before. And if there is a fox demon among them, as you say, we need to be more cunning than brutish. They won't be as easy as fighting armed humans."

They sat silently again, watching the customers come and go. One needn't be a demon to catch the foul smell wafting from the place. Occasionally, the brothel looked like an oven blowing out steam. Puffs of dirty red smoke billowed out from whatever crevice opened. Bittersweet, it smelled like opium but ten times stronger. If any of them got closer, they'd pass out from the secondhand smoke. Whatever kind of drug they were using, getting Tatsuhana and the other women out was made harder. They would have to figure out how to overcome the drug's effects. Even from this distance, Kagome and Miroku's eyes blurred and minds fogged up. Inuyasha it too but didn't let on.

The brothel was too close to the village. How did they manage to build it right under his nose? Something foul indeed had been written all of over this place. He could smell it. Just underneath the stench of that drug everyone seemed to be smoking, he smelled a fox. Not like Shippo who still had a lot to learn. This one was old. Hundreds of years old. This demon had been around long enough to know how to evade another demon's senses and mask his own scent. The humans were undoubted beguiled by his power or so drugged they never noticed him. The drug permeated everything around the brothel and carried on the wind for a few yards. If he stepped closer, he would be affected by it just as easily as any human. He never came across such a smell before. Cruelly mesmerizing, they would have to plan accordingly if they were going to get the women out.

"Look down there!" Kagome pointed to brothel below them.

Several thugs mounted their horses. They carried a few weapons, but they loaded a wagon with ropes. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were off on a hunt. A wave of nausea hit Kagome in the stomach. Her face blanched. Those men down below were off to kidnap more innocent women and girls. The three of them on the hill could either rescue those women down below first or go after the thugs. Neither would be easy.

Planning, they had a lot of planning to do.

* * *

Kaede wiped her brow. She stooped down to bend her aching back to gather reeds for a new sandals. Tatsuhana's sudden appearance wasn't so much a burden as it was an inconvenience. Having the extra set of hands helped around the village, but Kaede noticed the reluctance to be a part of it in the young woman. She did not have Kagome's spirit. Quite the opposite in fact. While Kagome didn't hesitate to help save the world from Naraku's darkness, Tatsuhana despaired her arrival. Even a blind man could see her pining with her eyes off in the distance. The well had grown completely, irrevocably silent. Like the last drop of its power had been used to bring Tatsuhana to them.

For what purpose, she did not know. And not knowing was the terrifying thing. Kagome's appearance had started a long battle with the forces of evil, almost instigating it. Had it not been that the events began fifty years prior to her arrival, Kaede would have assumed the chaos that followed to be Kagome's fault. It was little wonder that she didn't take extra precautions around Tatsuhana. She was a strange woman, far stranger than Kagome ever was. She was tall, much taller than most human women. She was much stronger. Kaede had seen the muscles in Tatsuhana's arms whenever she rolled up her sleeves to help with the fields. Her eyes were perhaps the strangest trait of all. Kaede had only ever seen demons with colored eyes. Tatsuhana's pale green eyes reminded her of jade sometimes, and other times those of a fearsome dragon lunging out of its watery cave.

Kaede decided not to dwell on it too much. There would be a time when all questions would be answered. Just not today.

A thunder sounded in the distance. The skies were bright and clear save for a few white puffy clouds in the distance. No, it was not rain and lightning that threatened them. Clouds of dust billowed as heavy hooves pounded the dirt road. Villagers scrambled from the fields, dropping whatever they had and ran. Those brave enough wielded pitchforks and harvesting scythes. The best they could manage without swords. The brutes came bounding towards the village. The elderly, except Kaede, women, and children were herded indoors and out of sight. Kaede looked around but found Sango and her children nowhere in sight. She prayed that they weren't anywhere near the village. For the riders bore no flags though they were armed to the teeth. They wore ragged clothes and armor not even spared for common foot soldiers. Each rider had the visage of a dirty, ragged clan-less rogue. Ronin, then, or some marauder taking advantage of a rural village's lack of protections.

At the head was the meanest-looking one of all. Scars mapped his face. Part of his left ear was missing and a gouge down one side of his face took out his eye. He was the largest rider too, having more on him than rest. His size alone warranted the lack of weapons at his side. The other riders at least two swords and another kind of blade. The head rider bore no weapons except the ones that nature and cruelty gave him.

As soon as they got close enough, the head rider climbed from his horse. The earth seemed to shake a little at his jump. The few men standing guard at the village entrance shuddered at the size of him. He took one beefy hand, wrapped it around the pitchfork pointed at his chest, and snapped the shaft as easily as a twig. Kaede didn't blame for backing away, discarded their weapons at the rogue's feet. Their grins widened. The riders behind him snickered. She drew closer and saw their teeth, sharp and yellow like parchment. A dozen men came upon the village, and they were lucky that only half of them got off their horses. Five other riders fell behind the giant, following him into the village square. One demand was made, some that churned Kaede's stomach.

"Bring out your young women and female children!"

* * *

Following their scent was easy. The sweltering heat made them sticky with sweat but Inuyasha had some difficulty distinguishing their smell with that of the horses they rode on. The men rode in no particular pattern. Not trained warriors despite how they armed themselves. They were sloppy, ill-trained, and predictable. Their fighting style belonged only to unskilled criminals who happened to know which way to their sword. Inuyasha wondered how they even managed to do that.

Kagome and Miroku followed behind him on Kirara.

They chased the riders as they tore through the forests, crashing through bushes and cutting branches. The massacre of innocent plant life led a trail right to them. Up ahead, a village rose up from a hill. Villagers were busy attending to the rice paddies when they turned their heads. They heard the riders falling upon them even before they saw the savages. After that, it all went to hell.

Villagers scrambled like chickens. The riders made no demands but grabbed women who couldn't outrun the horses. So much screaming echoed through the hills as they carried off any young woman who they could hold onto in the saddle. Inuyasha saw the road they would have to take. The fields were nothing but marshes that made passage slow and unpredictable. The hills took too long to pass over. The riders would have no choice but to take the main road and then veer off to disappear into the woods.

It took one swing to topple enough trees to block their path. Riders halted. The screams of the village they left in carnage still echoed from miles away. Smoke still billowed where the rogues left it to burn. Inuyasha jumped out from the bramble, putting himself between them and the blockage. They would have to fight him before they could even think about clearing the road.

"I'm gonna say this once. You'd better let those women go or else!"

"Or else what?" The head rider sneered. He was gangly creature, all limbs but he still managed to arm himself with three swords he undoubtedly stole from corpses in a battlefield.

The rider leapt from his horse, but not before pushing his captive out of the saddle first. The poor thing was so frightened, she didn't bother getting up again. She was surrounded by rogues on all sides. She couldn't run away even if she tried. The men surrounding her were all armed and wore vicious smiles. They were grinning daggers at her while she laid in the dirt, shaken to her core. Her fellow village girls whimpered in fright and did nothing.

"You look like a simple man. How about a trade? You get to pick any one of these girls here and you clear the rode for us. And maybe, _maybe_ you get to keep your head."

Inuyasha looked around at the girls as if deciding which one he'd like to keep. He counted the number men still on their horses and the weapons the carried. A Wind Scar would blow them all away, but so would the village girls, most of whom were still trapped. If he could get the girls away from the riders, then he could solve all their problems with one swing.

"I ain't interested."

"Then die!"

The human charged and with very human speed, Inuyasha knew where to strike to knock him dead to the ground. Blood splattered to the dark earth. Riders quickly dismounted, leaving their quarry in the saddles. A dozen men in total turned their attention to Inuyasha. It didn't take a mind reader to know that they had murder on the brain. They edged closer with swords drawn; blades glinted in the sun. As if of one mind, they all ran for him at the same time.

Inuyasha sheathed his sword. No need to waste Tetseiga's strength on these wretches. Sharpened claws to cut into throats and open bellies would be more than enough for the deed. He moved as a red and white blur through the mini horde. Claws opened throats, pouring more blood unto the ground. He left nothing but gaping wounds in their stomachs; organs spilling from the wounds. A dozen dead before they left even a scratch on him.

The human women dismounted uneasily. They herded themselves into a circle, far away from him. Their savior he may be, but his claws and hands were still coated in blood. Only Miroku's pacifying presence and words seemed to calm them down. He led them back to their village and returned within two hours.

"We need to go back and warn our village about the brothel and raiders," said Inuyasha.

"What about Tatsuhana?" Asked Kagome.

"We'll help her too, but we need to warn the village about these attacks. They're just as vulnerable being so close to that place."

Kagome meant to make a counter-argument, but quickly changed her train of thought. She nodded, grim-faced. Their priority may have been to help Tatsuhana, however the village needed them too. The four of them raced back to the village, only to find familiar sights. Some of the villagers, men and women, were crying. They huddled in groups as if to comfort each other. Inuyasha sniffed the air and growled.

"They've already been here, haven't they?" He bared his fangs. He was furious with himself.

Other bandits, either by coincidence or careful planning, had already been through and terrorized the village. They left very little physical damage behind. A couple of huts had been partially destroyed and burned by fire. Some of the men tried to fight back, and ended up hurt, bleeding, and one of them dead. Inuyasha smelled them. The bandits worked in groups of twelve from what he saw and the lingering scent still near. Eleven of this group had been human, the twelfth, not so much. He could smell the rank odor of ogre flesh from miles away. It wasn't just a fox demon amongst them, the bandits had ogres too.

Kaede knelt beside the wounded, tending to them. Her hands didn't shake as she wrapped bandages against open wounds or pour water for those who needed some. She was a solid rock in spite of the horrors today. She rose to her feet as the others returned. Miroku's face blanched when he couldn't find Sango's face or those of his children in the crowd.

"She was by the river when we were attacked. The bandits didn't find her," said Kaede.

Miroku dropped his shoulders as relieved of a heavy burden. He didn't lose his composure as he wandered to find his wife.

"When did this happen?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Not long ago. They came around at the approach of the sun's zenith. They demanded our unmarried women and female children. But they did not take many. Called us too common-looking." Kaede spat. "They took Rin."

Her eyes hardened and clenched her hands. Rin had been through too much as it is. If she grew up wherever the bandits took her, she would only suffer more.

"Kaede," Kagome took Kaede's hand in hers. "There is something you need to know."

Standing and explaining in the middle of the village would only cause a panic. They went into Kaede's hut, miraculously left unscathed in the aftermath. Kagome told her about the brothel and the armed bandits tramping through the area. Kaede's face grew gray to hear that such a place stood so close to the village. Even more so knowing that Tatsuhana and now Rin were caught in its clutches.

"They've got demons among them too. I smelled a fox demon and ogre. I don't know how they're able to mask their scents so well," said Inuyasha.

Kaede sat in silence.

"Kaede?" Kagome murmured.

"Tis not very good news. Demons kidnapping human women for such despicable reasons. We must pray that Sesshomaru does not find out."

A long shadow appeared in the doorway. Footsteps moved as quiet as the dead. Inuyasha whipped his head around. He knew that shadow and smell and the feather-light movements.

"Pray that Sesshomaru doesn't find out about what?" Said a cool male voice.


	9. Chapter 9

Eventually, they gave her something to wear. A few hours after being thrown back into the bedroom, women entered bearing no less than six kimonos, all of which Tatsuhana was expected to wear. With the drug still in her system, she gave them little resistance as they led her to a bathing area and scrubbed her clean with fragrant oils that burned her eyes with their powerful perfume. They were stiff and straight-faced as they forced her into the kimonos fit for only a court lady. The silk felt like nothing she wore before, but it wasn't enough to distract her from the fact that she had been captured by a brothel. It was only a matter of time before that red-haired pimp sold her off to the highest bidder. She would have to keep a tight lip about her virginity. It would only make her more valuable.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear!

As if sensing that the women's work had finished, the man—demon really—entered the room without even announcing his presence first. Startled by the sudden visit, the ladies bent down, foreheads pressed to the floor. All except Tatsuhana. She stood in the middle of the room. Spine straight, shoulders back, head held up high, she wasn't going to hand over her self-respect at the snap of his fingers. He smirked while she kept her mouth taut as a solid line. She didn't expect him to be blind to the fury burning in her eyes as she glared at him. If anything, watching her show him such disdain might have excited him.

Tatsuhana tried not to think about that and pushed back the sour bile rising in her throat.

"Leave us," he commanded.

The cowed women shuffled out of the one by one. Not one offered a pitying look at her, and she couldn't blame them for it. Most of them, if not all, had been through this and worse. Her torment had yet to begin.

Her captor paced around her. Circling like a vulture, he examined his prize. The large robes came in handy for when she balled her hands into fists. She hid her white knuckles in the depths of those extremely wide sleeves.

"Very interesting piece of jewelry you have. Did you not see anything you liked?"

Indeed, the servants had proffered lacquered boxes of jewels she could have adorned herself in. They nagged about the worn leather and old coin she had about her neck. Tatsuhana refused to part with it under any circumstances and even snarled at those who tried to untie it from her neck. In the matter of a few short days, her necklace became much more than an interesting bauble. It was a lifeline. The only clue to her forgotten past.

"I'll keep what I have, thank you." She reached up to run her thumb over the face of the coin.

"You don't care for jewels?"

"I prefer simplicity to gaudy ornaments."

He was goading her to say something out of bounds or relieve something. But what? It was clear that he knew something about her and she didn't. He'd gone on and on about her green eyes. If he had been fascinated by their outlandish color, perhaps she might have understood. Except everything about his tone and they he stared at her made it seem that her green eyes meant so much more than an unusual coloring.

"Would you like a name to this handsome face?" He winked at her.

Tatsuhana lifted up her nose and deigned to avoid his glance. She heard him click his tongue as if disappointed in a child's behavior. Suddenly, he was in front of her. His hands were on her face, cupped between his palms. They met eye to eye. He was only an inch or two taller than she was but he tried to make himself bigger. She kept her face neutral; she would not be intimidated.

"My name is Akio, and officially as of today you belong to me, _flower_."

Flower? Why did he call her that? Of all things, why would he call her such a name that resonated from deep inside her mind? Like a stone tossed into a lake, ripples woke up a pool of memory. Tatsuhana wondered for a moment who else had called her by that name but her thoughts were cut short by Akio's lips on hers. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her first kiss. Taken so abruptly, crudely. By someone so foul.

His tongue barely ghosted along her bottom lip before she shoved him away. He didn't have time to stop her hand flying across his cheek either. Tatsuhana would have liked to have stepped back faster but the damn layers of silk weighed more than she did. Akio ran his hand over where she slapped him. A pink imprint of her hand marred his pretty face. She also would have liked to congratulate herself in that regard. It was too soon to celebrate the small victories.

In agony, she waited in the deathly silence for him to respond. Nothing broke out between them except the boisterous song and laughter echoing from the lower levels. She expected him hit her back. Beat her. Do something other than watch her.

Akio took one step, then two. Tatsuhana made a break for the door. Again, the drugs in her system weakened her legs. It felt like running with hundred pound lead weights strapped to her ankles. Akio caught her easily. His arms were temple columns holding her mid-section tight. He pulled her close though she struggled with what little she had left.

"What a valiant effort, little flower. I'll give you credit for being brave enough. I like women with fire. Nothing's more uninspiring than one who just lays there and takes it." He whispered so close to her ear she could feel his tongue ghosting along the shell.

"Let me go!"

"Mmm," Akio hummed as if he actually thought about letting her go, "I don't think so, my dragon-flower. If you had any idea what you were worth, you wouldn't be so surprised."

Tatsuhana stopped struggling for a moment. He was using language to confuse and goad her again. 'Dragon-flower.' Did he know her name? Who was he?

"What are you talking about? I'm a human trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm an orphan. I have no family. No money either. I'm not worth much. But if you think you're going to sell me to the highest bidder—"

She felt the laughter rumble through Akio's chest pressed against her back.

"I have _no_ intention of selling you."

Akio turned her around. She was forced to face him again. This time when he looked down at her, another emotion flickered in his eyes. One of hunger and lust and greed. He ran skillful, tapered fingers down her cheek. Fire blazed as he finger tips wandered to her throat. He pulled at the coin with a delicate touch as if afraid to break it between his fingers.

"This is the key to unlocking what you are, _Tatsuhana_."

Her face blanched. She had to swallow past the thump that formed in her throat. Tatsuhana had guessed as much, but to hear the words confirmed by his own damnable lips was something else entirely.

"H-how do you know my name?"

Akio played with the coin around her neck though he watched the color drain from her face. Grinning ear to ear, he enjoyed it.

"There is a reason I got into this business five hundred years ago. When you went missing, I scoured every nook and cranny to find you. Examining every woman who passed through my doors. But none of them have your eyes."

"I-I don't understand. I'm barely twenty-one years old. How could I have gone missing five hundred years ago. And what do my eyes have anything to do—" It occurred to her to wonder how he could still be peddling flesh after five hundred years. His apparent immortality would be questioned another day.

He pressed a finger to her lip, shushing her. "Because the last person who had tread this land with eyes just like yours was a force to be reckoned with. She was powerful. Equal to the man she married. Caused quite the stir the both of them."

Tatsuhana shook her head. Akio held her arms in a vice grip; she wasn't going anywhere. "I still don't understand. What does that have anything to do with me?" Anger and frustration bubbled up inside her. She didn't consider herself a violent person, but she would resort to it if he continued baiting her.

"You're not asking the right questions, flower," he snickered.

Mischief danced in his eyes. He wanted to play a game. See if she was just as clever as he was. Or, more likely, to see how long he could make her squirm. Tatsuhana opened her mouth to ask the question pressed against her brain...

"LORD SESSHOMARU!"

Tatsuhana stood there. Cold. Like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on her head. She stood there numb and afraid. Akio let out a curse and released her. He opened the door, forgetting Tatsuhana completely. She crept through the door finding his guards distracted by the commotion down stairs. The armed thugs dragged along a little girl. They put forth so much effort just for one child it would be comical if she didn't know her.

"Rin!" She didn't know why or when she shouted for the little girl. She didn't know why she tried to fling herself down the stairs to get to her.

Guards suddenly noticed her presence and grabbed her before she could get to the stairs. The ones below managed to ensnare Rin before she could cause more of a fuss. She stopped struggling when she saw Tatsuhana's frightened and worried face looking down at her from the third floor.

"Miss Tatsuhana?"

Akio stood on the staircase. He looked down at Rin then turned quickly to Tatsuhana.

"You know this child?"

She already saw the ideas forming in his head. It didn't take a genius to discover that he planned to ransom Rin's safety for her cooperation. It would be too stupid now to deny it after they said each other's names.

Tatsuhana nodded.

"Let them go," Akio ordered.

Once the guards released her, Tatsuhana flew down the stairs and reached the bottom floor. Rin was already running for her by the time she reached the last step. Tatsuhana wrapped her arms around the girl letting the wide kimono sleeves shield her from the perverted scenery around them. All ready their were drunkards and half naked women parading around. One red-faced man had his hand up a woman's kimono, feeling her pale thigh with his greedy hand. Tatsuhana trapped Rin to her side. Akio descended down until he stood over them on the stairs. The music and laughter stopped. Curious eyes watched the scene like a comedy play. Some waited for Akio to draw the sword at his side to cut down the disobedient woman and the unruly child, but he did no such thing. They would be disappointed with what he had to offer instead of bloodshed.

"Let us bargain, _Tatsuhana_..."

She could spit in his face for that. Even her name falling of his tongue disgusted her.

"I'll agree to let you keep the girl in your custody...in exchange for you cooperation. She'll be your full responsibility. If she causes another scene, I'll make sure that she gets thrown to the wolves when she comes of age and," he reappeared in front of her. Bending towards her ear, he hissed, sultry and violent at the same time, "I'll make sure that you do not enjoy it when I taste you for the first time, _flower_."

Tatsuhana stood so still that her bones ached. She pressed Rin closer, and hoped that she didn't hear the vulgar things he whispered to her. She could only nod her head quietly and prepare her soul for what he would dish out on her.

Akio smiled. Ghastly. His eyes flickered joyously. In no time at all, he won her obedience for the time being. Tatsuhana cursed herself for falling into such an obvious trap, but she couldn't have let anything happen to Rin. She was a child. Tatsuhana remembered what it was like being small and afraid. Judging by how tight Rin clung to her robes, she couldn't leave the girl now.

"Return to your quarters and we'll see about getting the two of you a hot meal before I require you, Flower, this evening." His eyes pierced right through Tatsuhana.

Begrudgingly, she walked up the stairs with Rin pressed against her. She knew that all eyes were on them. One wrong move and they'd both regret it. The door slammed behind them with the thunderous cacophony of a tomb shutting them in. Music and laughter and cheer started up again. Tatsuhana took a shuddering breath. She could no longer hold herself up on her legs any more. Rin got out of the way just as Tatsuhana's knees slammed into floor. She just made a deal with a pimp to protect a child. What was he going to make her do? If he had no intention of selling her, what would he make her do this evening? Her brain went through every scenario imaginable. She shuddered and gagged at the mere thought of being put on display for his pleasure.

"Miss Tatsuhana?" Rin's small voice somehow shackled her back to the ground.

She lifted her head just as Rin put her arms around her neck. Rin's fingers brushed her hair. Something raw at her stomach. It wasn't the duty of a child to comfort an adult. It felt wrong but needed.

"We're going to be alright, Miss Tatsuhana. We're going to be okay. You'll see! Lord Sesshomaru is going to find us and take us home. He always comes when I call."

Tatsuhana wanted to have Rin's hope. She wanted to believe someone would come for them. She really wanted to believe...

* * *

Tatsuhana grimaced as her knees started to ache. Many hours later of being sequestered in the bedroom, shielding Rin's ears from the loud debauchery surrounding them, several maids came in towards the evening. They changed her robes into different ones. Hues of pink and red were put on her. If she resisted, they'd tell Akio and Rin would face the punishment. Tatsuhana loathed being treated like a doll someone who dress and undress at their whims. Much to the maids disdain she pouted and glared at them the whole time.

She sat before a vanity mirror letting them run a bamboo comb through her hair, she suffered in silence as they gossiped and talked about her. One of them rubbed perfumed oil into her skin, lathering up her arm from elbow to her fingers.

"Where on earth did Lord Akio find this one? Her hands are calloused. Like she's been working in the fields. Not much better than the other new comers."

Her hands were rougher than some other women she knew because of all the dishes she washed and the hot plates she carried over the years working at restaurants. To hear this woman complain about her hands, Tatsuhana had to bite down on her tongue to keep her from saying something. She glanced at Rin who knelt in the corner, forced to hold a lacquered tray of make-up. The maids forced the poor girl to sit there and 'make herself useful.' Tatsuhana could see how Rin's arms were starting shake with effort. They kept her there for so long that she couldn't possibly keep it up much longer. Mercifully, one of the maids called for her.

Rin slowly stood up, tray still in her small hands. She tried not too look up and watched where she placed her feet. Careful not to spill the contents of the tray, Rin walked across the room. She had gotten a foot near the vanity table when she failed to see the flowing corner of Tatsuhana's outer most kimono. Rin slipped on the silk. She tumbled forward, spilling jars and powders all over the floor and barely missing Tatsuhana. The maids shrieked at the sudden loss of precious, expensive cosmetics, bemoaning Akio's money wasted. The maid who complained about Tatsuhana's rough hands reached for Rin as the little girl started to get up and pick up the shards of broken ceramic.

"You stupid child!" The maid's hand swung in a wide arch.

Had Tatsuhana not reacted quickly, Rin would be wearing a palm print on her face. Tatsuhana caught the maid's hand and gripped it tightly. Slowly, she rose to her feet. She stood at least a foot taller than the woman who took in her size just as she did earlier. Anger and frustration gave way to apprehension. This woman had never seen someone so tall except for way. She had seen Tatsuhana's athletic form when changing her robes. If it came down to it, Tatsuhana would wipe the floor with her pretentious ass.

"Put a hand on that girl and you will regret it," Tatsuhana growled. She ripped the hand away from her hold. "Besides, I don't need that stuff any way. I never cared for make-up."

"But if you are to attend to Lord Akio's needs..."

"Then _Lord_ Akio can do it when I am at my most natural state. I'm sure it wouldn't care one way or another how I look."

Tatsuhana turned to Rin and knelt beside her. She helped the girl pick up the broken jars and set them on the tray. The rest would be cleaned up later. Through the window, she saw the skies turn from blue to dusty peach. Sunset.

A guard entered the room without further notice. Rin was tucked into the furthest corner at Tatsuhana's request. She was to make no noise or leave the room until Tatsuhana returned. Tatsuhana held her head high—shoulders back and all that—and allowed the guard to escort her downstairs. The maids followed shortly behind like her own personal handmaidens or ladies-in-waiting. In all of these silk and brocade layers, Tatsuhana almost felt like she was being taken to court. Much of her power had been stripped from her, but by the looks of the prostitutes and maids who saw her as she passed, Tatsuhana held a different kind of power. Brute force would not be enough to get her and Rin out. She wouldn't wait for a rescue party. Cunning, cunning and brains would lead to escape. Tatsuhana merely had to bide her time and play the part Akio wanted to see her play.

In the large square pit, Akio sat a lone. For now. Long tables lined the inner square set for maybe a dozen or two dozen guests. He sat in the center. The only other seat at his table was to his left. He smiled at her when she descended down the short stairs. There was no need for the guard to "persuade" her to sit down on the pillow next to Akio's. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them all. Tatsuhana sat with all the propriety she could muster. If her respectable foster-parents saw her now from the spirit world, they would surely be turning in their graves. All the sitting and posturing and standing, it was a shame to use the inn-keeper training for the likes of Akio. Bile rose in her throat but she schooled her features into a mask of neutrality trying to give away as little as possible.

"How do you and your ward find your accommodations?" Akio deigned to ask.

She could have and would have spat in his face on any other occasion. Tatsuhana had to remember that her life wasn't the only one at stake any more.

"As _pleasant_ ," she tried not to let her lips curl at the word, "As it is, I think it's a little too confining."

"What a pity. Because I find it be quite comfortable. After all, it is _my_ room I've so kindly loaned to you and your ward."

Tatsuhana slipped. She balked. Her mouth hung slightly ajar. A chill ran up her back like icy pinpricks. _His_ room? She had been sleeping in _his_ room all this time? She dared a glance at him, and immediately regretted it. His lips curled into an arrogant smirk. She should have known Akio would use this as a way to get a rise out of her.

"You looked so surprised, Flower. Did you think I would make you share a room with one of the whores or in the cellar with the maids and cook? I've been a perfect gentleman and stayed in a guest room while you've had mine all to yourself. You should be grateful."

Tatsuhana snarled, "Do not call me that! And gentleman? Tell me, does a gentleman leave a love bite on a lady he just met like some overstimulated dog." She gritted through her teeth; the pain of gnashing her teeth together was the only thing that kept her grounded.

His smirk disappeared. Replaced shortly by a less-than-amused frown, Akio cocked his fiery brow. "You're awfully courageous for a woman whose comfortable lifestyle resides solely in the hands of another. I like your sharp tongue, Flower, but I will remind you that even if you don't care about your own life, I can still send your ward down into the cellar to slave away until she drops from exposure. It gets hot down there with the laundry and cook and boiling water for the hot baths. Her frail little body wouldn't make it past a week if I let them push her too hard. Or perhaps you'd prefer a slow death? I could put her up with one of my regulars, let some of my favorite whores train her. Then, she'd wish she was dead for a very long time. Which do you prefer?"

Tatsuhana blanched. Rin. She had to think about Rin. If Tatsuhana didn't make it out of this hell hole, she could at least make sure Rin did.

With as few scars as possible.

Akio chuckled at the sudden discoloration in Tatsuhana's cheeks. "Now you understand. All you have to do there tonight is to sit there and look pretty. My guests aren't expecting to see me with such a prize, so I want to show off. Which leads me to the rules. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will smile; I don't want my guests to see you upset with you station. You will let me touch you however, wherever I wish but you don't let anyone else do the same. When prompted, you will pour me sake with grace. If you obey all these rules, I'll let you have the room to yourself for one more night. Otherwise, I will punish you."

"What kind of...punishment?" Tatsuhana was stupid enough to ask.

Akio reached and cupped her chin. He thumbed her lower lip. Once again, mischief and lust sparked in his eyes. Debauched thoughts coursed through his brain.

"The kind that might not seem like a punishment at all for the both of us."

At this, Tatsuhana's face turned beet red. Heat rushed to her face and felt the blush reach the top of her chest. Akio's fingers ran through her hair, playing with the loose tendrils.

"Such a pretty face when you blush like that," he chuckled. "I look forward to seeing it more often."

One by one, they began to arrive. Not warlords and princes and generals. Not even men. Creatures dressed in garish clothes too outlandish for ordinary humans and heavy armor like they were going off to war. They came in all shapes and sizes. Tatsuhana froze in her spot. She clenched her fingers tightly; thankful for the wide sleeves to hide her trembling hands. She did as she was told and lowered her gaze so as not to meet their eyes. She smiled faintly, remembering how to fake good customer service.

Daring one glance, Tatsuhana's shifted her gaze towards her captor. She tried not to gasp what she saw in him. His face was inhumanly perfect. The angles of his face were more sharp. He smirked, revealing white fangs. His red hair fell away from his ears to reveal t heir delicate points. Even his hands shifted. At the end of his fingers were sharp claws that would take no effort in shredding flesh or layers of silk. No fewer than seven furry tails appeared at the base of his spine, fanning out behind him like peacock feathers. Akio caught her glancing at him and raised one of his brows.

"What were you expecting, Flower? Or were you hoping for some kind of dog?"

The demons laughed as they sat around the tables and being served by terrified young women. Tatsuhana furrowed her brows.

"What's that supposed to mean?" It made no difference to her whether he was a fox or a dog demon.

"You're still not asking the right questions," Akio reached over and ran his hands through her hair.

Tatsuhana willed her body not to budge an inch as he twisted and curls his fingers through her hair. It took every bit of her power not to resist and push him away. He was testing her. If he wanted to touch her, she had to allow it or Rin would pay the price. She tried to smile prettily while letting him do what he wanted. Something roiled in the pit of her stomach. It screamed at her to fight back, but she had Rin to think about. A little girl who would never survive what Akio had in mind should Tatsuhana fail to meet his standards.

"This is a pretty one, Akio. Is she your latest toy?" Asked a bird-like demon with piercing blood-red eyes.

"In a way, she is, Gamon. Why don't you show our guests your beautiful eyes, Flower."

Before she could comply, Akio took her chin between his thumb and index finger and pulled her head up for them to see. Tatsuhana kept her eyes open so they could see.

"What a lovely shade of green aren't they? Remind you of anyone?" Akio snickered.

The demons murmured and debated amongst each other. Their eyes raked over her form. They leered.

"She looks just like-"

"Ah, ah, my friend. This flower and I are playing a little game. She just hasn't asked the right questions yet. Until she does, I intend to keep her in the dark. And what fun we're having, right, Pet?"

Tatsuhana's hands curled tightly in her kimono's sleeves. She wanted to break his face in. Make it a little less pretty. She ground her teeth then grinned. She could bare with this treatment for a while longer. She would have to. For Rin's sake.

He released her without further ado. The guests chatted with each other and Akio. They all wore smug looks full of razor sharp teeth. They knew who she was too. She could tell by their stupid grins that they were in on the joke too but quiet to help him with this game of his. Akio lifted a shallow cup next to him. Beside Tatsuhana, a graceful bottle stood. He held his cup towards her; his eyes glanced over to the bottle on the table. With as much grace she could muster, Tatsuhana filled his cup. She replaced the bottle on the table again without so much as rattling the porcelain. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Akio drain the entire thing. She hoped he died slowly of liver damage.

If demons could die from that.

It seemed to go on for hours, whatever this was. The demons talked endlessly of conquests, on and off battlefields. Tatsuhana's stomach churned as their conversations grew more grotesque. They had no sense of decency with a lady in their presence and she doubted they cared. Their lewd tales and bloody stories gave them no greater joy.

"Katsuro," Akio addressed a wolfish character at on the tables.

A tanned wild demon with the face of a model and the demeanor of a barbarian looked away from the prize he captured and forced to sit in his lap. "Yes?"

"How goes your own conquest? I heard you're trying to claim more territory for your tribe."

The wolf demon growled. "It would be so much easier if a certain pest would simply die. Koga thinks he so much better than I. Did you know he's ordered his tribe not to attack human villages any more? It's been his law for some time, but still. Can you even imagine?" Katsuro drained his sake cup.

"If you need any assistance in the matter, I'd be more than happy to help," Akio suggested.

Tatsuhana couldn't believe she was privy to this. Demons conspiring against each other over alcohol. It was no better than feuding clans over a few scraps of land and the sense of power taken from others. It was worse.

"I appreciate the thought, but I have it under control. Koga is nothing more than a bleeding heart. All I have to do is take something that he holds dear, and destroy it in front of his eyes. I already have a plan in motion. His pretty wife will be an excellent messenger."

Sour bile rose in her throat. Whoever this Koga person was had trouble coming his way. It was a pity she didn't know who he was or where to find him. She'd warn him if only to spite this disgusting creatures. Akio proffered another empty cup towards her. Tatsuhana chewed on the inside of her cheek while she poured him another glass. Akio sipped rather than drink the whole thing at once like he was wont to do. He plied his fingers through her hair as he drank slowly. His cheeks were barely flushed. Tatsuhana kept a mental tally but she didn't take into account his demonic nature to be a deterrent for alcohol poisoning. What frightened her more than his ability to drink more than a fish was the look he gave her. That hungry gleam in his eyes like he would have his way with her even without her doing anything to deserve punishment. She felt his pointed nails graze her cheek and neck, stopping only because her clothes got in the way. A minor shield to protect her. For now.

How much longer did she have before Akio decided to take her anyway. Tatsuhana tried not to dwell on that. All she wanted to do was get through the evening.

The party started to wind down. In between the laughter and shouting, a shrill scream echoed. The demons turned their heads towards its source. Bodies and blood fell around a tall, almost regal figure dressed in armor. Akio's hand reached for Tatsuhana's neck. He wrapped his hand on the other side of her throat and pulled her face to his chest. As if he didn't want her to see the intruder's face. Or let the intruder see her face.

"What a pleasant surprise. I didn't think you would answer my invitation this time." She heard the smugness in Akio's voice. It rolled off his tongue like a second nature.

"I would not join in on your crude entertainments, Akio."

His cool, hard voice made something flutter in her stomach.

Tatsuhana felt the heat of his skin even through his kimono. A rumble surged through Akio's chest. She couldn't tell if he growled or chuckled.

"Then what have I done to gain the honor of your intrusion?"

"You have something that belongs to me and I want it back."

Akio's hold on her neck tightened. His touch became possessive. He pushed her closer to his body without letting her meet the stranger's gaze. Akio kept her head tucked into his chest as if afraid that the intruder would do something terrible if he saw Tatsuhana's face. Akio rose, taking her with him. She heard him draw a blade she didn't remember seeing. Tatsuhana peeked away from his chest. Just enough to see the glint of a clean, sharpened katana. The steel seemed to smile in the red lamplight, eager for bloodshed.

Akio's claws gently scraped her scalp as he held her tight.

"Then by all means. Try to take her."


	10. Chapter 10

The crudest thoughts came across her mind. She had her face smashed against a stranger's chest and his arm snaked around her waist. What should she do first? Put her foot up his ass or throat punch him? Normally, Tatsuhana was a peaceable, even-tempered woman. Violence for its own sake was as evil as it was crude. But in this case, she would make an exception.

While he taunted the intruder, Tatsuhana plotted. She was close enough to do more than enough damage to hurt him and scramble to find Rin. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Tatsuhana had a feeling that things were going to get really ugly _really_ fast. Her heart beat hard and fast against her ribs in anticipation. While he was distracted, if she acted now, she could reach the third floor, grab Rin, and they both could make a run for it. She just had to get her timing just right.

"Using a woman as a shield, Akio," said that cool, masculine voice that sent a shiver down her spine. "How much of a coward are you?"

Akio opened his mouth to say something. Another insult or a challenge perhaps. It didn't matter. Tatsuhana saw an opportunity swing wide open for her.

Retracting her arm, she curled her hand into a fist. There was only one way to shut him up. Her eyes narrowed in on the pale column of his throat. Tatsuhana tightened her fist as hard as she could until her fingers ached and her knuckles turned white. Akio was so concerned about making another challenge that he didn't bother to be concerned about her fist ramming into the center of his throat.

Flesh collided with flesh. Tatsuhana's hard knuckles rammed into Akio's soft, unguarded throat. He made a ghastly noise. Like air had been sucked out of him. Staggering back, Akio released her to clutch at his neck. She scrambled away before he could reach out back for her. The half dozen robes he made her wear hindered her, but only slightly. She discarded one layer after another as she ran for the stairs. By this time, the demons of Akio's court stood at attention, grabbing whatever weapons they didn't leave at the front door. Tatsuhana had already reached the stairs before Akio dared to speak.

"Bring that bitch to me!" His hoarse voice roared. Out of rage or pain, Tatsuhana could not tell.

All she knew was that she had to run.

As she ran, dodging guards along the way, she saw down below the intruder run towards Akio. Steel flashing and long white hair flying behind him. She didn't stop to admire him but she heard the sounds of clashing swords echoing up to the second floor.

Women shrieked in shock and horror as they clambered out of her way. They hurried out of doors, leaving clients behind. Screen doors flung open to see what the commotion was about. Each one turned deathly pale as the first floor opened up to a battlefield. Demon after demon in favor of Akio went to his aide. Swinging swords and thrusting with pole arms, they took a chance, or a stab, at attacking the white-haired intruder. But not one of them could lay a claw or knife or talon on him. He moved faster than the eye could catch. He swatted them away like annoying flies. Could anyone touch him?

Tatsuhana threw a man over her shoulder as he tried to grab her. She took his wrist and hefted his weight up and over. She left him stunned, physically and mentally, on the floor. She did not spare one glance at him to make sure he wouldn't get up again so soon. Her feet pounded the floor.

Only one more flight of stairs.

A cacophony opened up around her. Demons fighting below. Women and men screaming. Fire bursting...

Wait.

Fire?

Tatsuhana smelled the fire before she saw it. Bright red and gold snapping at wooden beams. Daring a look over the railing, she saw it. Akio opened his palm, the free hand, and a tongue of flame licking the air. He threw it like a ball towards the intruder, narrowly missing. He didn't even leave so much as a scorch mark on the stranger's armor. The white-haired demon deflected one attack after another. It didn't look like he moved out of the fire's way. Rather, the fire shot away from him. It moved out of _his_ way. Her mouth hung open in awe.

"There you are!"

Twin arms wrapped around her waist like temple columns. They pinned her against the railing in an ironclad grip.

She had spent too much time admiring the intruder to notice someone sneaking up behind. Her heart leapt into her throat. If Akio won, he would punish her for the fight, maybe even the damage to the brothel. Chaos sounded all around her. Akio's shots missed and landed wherever they could cause the most damage. Wood groaned and snapped at the flames growing, spreading. Humans were scrambling for their lives. If he won, Akio will be very angry.

And he would take it out on her and Rin.

Tatsuhana threw her head back as hard as she could, ramming the back of her skull into her captor's nose. Back home, she sometimes wondered if she would have need to use those self-defense classes. At least, she could be satisfied that those lessons didn't go to waste.

Her captor released her. He moaned. Blood dripped from his nose. Lots of blood. Tatsuhana tried not to look at it as she stomped on his foot and made contact with her fist to his stomach. She left him doubled over. She could have sworn she felt bones crack under her knuckles but didn't stop to check. Turning from her victim, she ran for the last flight of stairs.

Humans were scrambling for the nearest exit. For the women, this might be their only chance of escape. The guards were so busy trying to contain the mad rush of people that they couldn't stop Tatsuhana breaking for the third floor. She reached it. Her lungs choked on blackened smoke as the fire spread down below. Crackling, it thundered in her ears. They had to get out. Now.

Tatsuhana found Rin in the farthest corner of the room, huddled up. Her eyes lit up as Tatsuhana crossed the room. Rin was still small enough for her to pick up and carry out in her arms. By the time they left, half of the first floor was covered in flames. Inhabitants and captives ran for their lives. Demons fled. This was no longer a battle they were willing to risk their lives for small rewards. As apparent, demons could die in fire just as easily as humans.

With Rin in her arms, Tatsuhana flung herself down the stairs. She stepped over bodies, bleeding or dead, on the way out. She pressed Rin's head against her shoulder to keep her from looking at the corpses. Once they reached the first floor, Rin hopped down from her arms. She grabbed Tatsuhana's arm with her small yet weathered hands, dragging her to the closest door. They ran as fast as they could.

Smoke cleared as fresh air hit her face. But Tatsuhana didn't have the luxury to enjoy the feel of clean air. She scanned the area for a means of escape. They couldn't possibly reach safety on foot.

There! Still tied to a tree, a horse had been either abandoned or his master was dead. Tatsuhana and Rin booked it. Tatsuhana threw Rin on top of the horse first before clambering on herself. She untied the reigns from the saddle and took them in her hands. She couldn't stop shaking. Straddling a beast like this was a new experience for her. Well, maybe not so new. She tried not to be shocked when her body seemed to know what to do more than her mind did.

Swords were still clashing. Steel ringing in the air. Even above the sound of the brothel going up in flames, she could still hear Akio and the intruder going at it. They no longer seemed concerned about their own safety, let alone their original goals.

Tatsuhana tugged on the reigns, hard. The horse whined, nickering but relented after a second tug. She did not look back. Not even as the roof caved in. They rode fast in an uncertain direction. Any place was better than the one they left behind.

A blur of red leapt in front of them. Tatsuhana pulled the reigns to stop the horse in its tracks.

"Inuyasha?"

"Are you guys alright?" He asked. He looked more concerned than Tatsuhana expected him to be.

Nodding, "Yes. We're fine. Just a little shook up. Which way to the village?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air. His eyes moved around behind them. As soon as he was sure nobody followed them, he motioned for them to follow.

Face first, Tatsuhana flung herself out on the bed. She swore that she would sleep for the next century. Her thighs barked. Her head pounded. There wasn't an inch of her that wasn't tired, aching, or throbbing. She threw off the silk kimono and hakama. As tempting as it was to throw them into the fire, she was persuaded to allow Miroku to sell them and split the profits. She had her eyes closed for a few minutes before little feet padded towards her.

"Miss Hana?"

Tatsuhana cracked open an eye. Rin walked up to the bed and knelt beside it. Tatsuhana twisted to rest on her side rather than her stomach.

"What is it, Rin? Are you okay?"

The girl nodded, excitedly. She beamed, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm more than okay, thanks to you. I don't know how to thank you, Miss Hana." Rin pressed her forehead to the ground.

Immediately, Tatsuhana sat up. She gently touched Rin's shoulders and pulled her up.

"Rin, you don't need to do that. I'm just glad you're safe and whole," said Tatsuhana.

"If not for you, I'd..." Rin's voice trailed off.

It would be better for them both if they didn't dwell on might could have been. Tatsuhana pulled the little girl into her arms, and hugged her tight. Maybe she had started growing fond of the girl. Maybe she needed someone to show affection to. The stress would get to her head. A gentle reprieve now and then couldn't hurt.

"You're safe now. I won't let anything else happen to you. I promise."

She felt Rin's hesitation. Slowly, Rin put her arms around her. They held each other for a moment or two before letting go. Kagome padded into the room.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. She knew of Rin's condition, but Tatsuhana hadn't said anything at all after she galloped into the village.

Tatsuhana took a deep breath.

"Despite the circumstances, I think I'll pull through. My body's really sore, but nothing I can't deal with," she answered.

"That's great! Me and Sango were going to take a bath. Would you like to come with us?"

"A bath sounds absolutely wonderful at the moment."

Though it seemed like a hassle to walk twenty minutes to get to a bath, the early evening walk to the hot spring did her some good. Smoke cleared from her lungs and her head felt better. Lighter. There were no signs of rouge fox demons roaming the woods tonight. Inuyasha made sure of it. She wondered about the intruder who appeared at the brothel. If not for him, there wouldn't have been a diversion distracting enough to keep Akio busy while she and Rin escaped. She didn't get a chance to learn his name, much less thank him.

His voice...it reminded her of something. Another time and place. Another life time. But when she tried recalling where, the vein in her forehead throbbed at the effort. Tatsuhana let it, for now. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to wash the last couple days off her skin. She could still feel that man's lips on her neck and tongue on her ear. Her lips had the slightest imprint of his. Stomach in knots over the loss of her first kiss, Tatsuhana decided it would all wait. She would mourn the loss of a proper first kiss _after_ she got back home. Assuming she could return home at all.

Miroku, as of yet, had found nothing. The shrine's histories were penned by priests, shrine maidens, and monks with the bare minimum knowledge of the land. Kaede had been searching for answers in the library of scrolls but hadn't found anything either. The historical tomes only dated so far back. Tatsuhana began to doubt she would ever see modern Japan again.

They reached the hot springs at last. Tatsuhana wasn't particularly shy about undressing around women. There wasn't anything to be ashamed of. Still, the act of undressing and bathing with other women was a ritual she had to get used to. She certainly wasn't going to take her chances bathing alone. Kagome and Sango had already disrobed and climbed into the spring. Tatsuhana took her time pulling off her kimono. She folded her clothes and left them in a neat pile by the rocks. It wasn't until she was waist deep in the water when she noticed them staring.

"What? What is it? Is there something behind me?" Tatsuhana froze.

Was there a demon nearby? She swallowed hard. Her mental faculties never worried about attacks. It shocked her to the core knowing that any minute she could be assailed by an ogre or sexually assaulted by a fox demon. It was a stark contrast to the every day life she held before. It wasn't perfect by any standards, but she was more safe in the future than she was stuck in the Feudal Era.

"Hana, you have something on your shoulder," Kagome pointed out the red markings etched into her skin.

Tatsuhana looked at her reflection in the water. Starting from her neck and making its way down her arm and torso, florid vines crawled along the curve of her shoulder. Blossoms opened along stems and the vines curled as if to ensnare her.

* * *

"This is not good," said Kaede.

The three women ran from the hot spring as soon as Tatsuhana discovered the tattoo slowly engulfing her arm. Kaede sent all the men out of the room to examine her. Nothing seemed amiss. The strange tattoo did not burn or sear her flesh nor did it exude any especially maleficent energy. Other than having a tattoo, Tatsuhana was in perfect physical condition.

"W-what do you mean 'not good?' Am I in danger? Will this thing poison me?" Tatsuhana paled in the lamp light.

"It will not. But I fear there is something to worry about."

"Kaede," said Kagome, "Is Tatsuhana in danger?"

The old priestess shook her head. "Not in physical danger. Her body is safe, but her mind is not. Where did you get this marking?"

"I didn't," answered Tatsuhana. "I've been kidnapped by a fox demon for the last two days. He forcibly kissed me and gave me a hick—a love bite on my neck. I was drugged for part of the time, but I would think that I'd notice if somebody took the time giving me a tattoo."

"Then tis a demon's mark that possesses you," said Kaede.

Tatsuhana blinked. She tried to wrap her mind around it but didn't possess the proper functions to assess what Kaede just said.

"Come again?"

"The markings on your flesh was made by a demon in an attempt to possess you. This tattoo will continue to grow until your mind will no longer be your own. The demon's magic will take over until all ye can think about is the demon who marked you in the first place."

"I remember my father telling me about these markings," said Sango, "They're a way to mark females as property, but they're so rarely done on humans."

Assuming Tatsuhana was human. Judging by Akio's little game, she started having her doubts.

Tatsuhana blanched. The color drained from her face. She touched her shoulder and trailed the vine with her finger down along her arm. Six-petaled flowers bloomed on her flesh as vines wrapped around. Her skin felt hot wherever the tattoo stood. Just by touching it, she saw Akio's face in her mind. Her tongue clung to the roof of her mouth.

"There's got to be a way to remove it, right? It's not permanent, is it?" Tatsuhana panicked. Already her mind had gone hazy. How long did she have before she became that fox demon's love slave?

Kaede shook her head, "Nay. But the longer ye wait to remove it, I assure ye, it will be permanent. And if the fox demon is as persistent as ye say he is, then he will stop at nothing to have ye as his bride."

"Bride?" Tatsuhana wanted to hide under a rock and wait for the inevitable. She never even had a first date. It was bad enough she had her first kiss stolen and forced into receiving a hickey. Now _this._ How was she going to survive this place if she couldn't even go a week without getting engaged to a fox demon?

"Kaede, there must be something we can do! Some way to stop it before it's too late!" Said Kagome.

She watched Tatsuhana's face turned ghostly pale. It was bad enough she was trapped in the Feudal Era, but to be kidnapped and practically forced into marriage.

"Alas, I do not have such knowledge. Ye must seek one who knows more about demon markings than I," Kaede answered.

"H-how long do I have before it becomes permanent?"

"Judging by the tattoo's progress, ye have a eight days before the mark becomes permanent."

"Eight days!" Tatsuhana slammed her hands on the table. "I don't have eight days to spare. I _need_ to get rid of this. Now. I cannot, I repeat, cannot marry a man who kidnaps and sells women."

Kagome patted her on the shoulder and held her hand. "We're going to help you through this. I won't let you marry that creep."

Tatsuhana buried her face in her hands. Out of the frying pan, and into the oven as they would say back home. Things kept getting from bad to worse. Was there any end in sight?

"Is there any kind of expert in demon tattooing? Somebody who might know how to get rid of it before it takes over?" Kagome wondered allowed.

"Old Man Totosai or Myoga might," said Inuyasha.

"How soon can you get one of them to help?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Totosai is usually at his forge or wandering around and Myoga chasing after a free meal. But if I leave now, I can probably catch one of them and be back in a day."

"Do you mean it, Inuyasha? Can you do that?" Kagome's eyes lit up.

Tatsuhana hadn't the energy to be nearly as optimistic as Kagome. She kept her face buried in the palms of her hands. It took the very last bit of her will not to start wailing. She felt the tattoo grower hotter against her skin. She could smell _him_ like burning incense stinging her nose and making her dizzy. Nauseous, actually. Her guts were turning inside out and getting tied in knots. Behind her eyelids, she could see his face, a smug look on his face and a wicked gleam in his eye. Taunting her.

Eight days.

She had eight days before she became a fox demon's love slave. Her free will and individual thoughts, gone. Her body would no longer be her own to share freely. Tatsuhana tasted sour bile rise in her throat at the mere thought of Akio touching her and her mind so far gone that she wouldn't, couldn't, tell him no.

Inuyasha left, running in the dark. He kissed Kagome on the cheek and ran into the night with the promise that he would return the next day with help. Even if he had to drag one of them back, kicking and screaming. Tatsuhana retired early. She couldn't stomach the sight or smell of food as she curled up in a ball under the blankets. The house ate quietly without her. Her stomach didn't even growl in protest as the evening fell into heavy night. Kaede sank into bed and started snoring as soon as her head hit the pillow. Must be nice.

Rin crawled in not long after. Tatsuhana was still very much awake when she felt Rin's tiny body crawl under the blankets. Kaede was sound asleep when Rin whispered, "Miss Tatsuhana, are you going to be alright?"

A hard lump formed in her throat. Tatsuhana could not swallow past it. Her tongue clung to the roof of her mouth. Her brain was wracked for words to say, but there was nothing but an empty pit awaiting her.

"I-I don't know, Rin. I'm scared." Hot tears sprang from her eyes, wetting the pillow beneath her head. Tatsuhana, a fully grown adult and capable of taking responsibilities, openly wept. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning aloud and waking up Kaede.

Rin hugged her from behind. Tatsuhana's waist wasn't so large that even Rin struggled to wrap her arms around. Tatsuhana felt Rin's cheek against her back.

"It's going to be okay, Miss Tatsuhana. I just know it."

Tatsuhana lay awake that night. Optimism ruled those around while she sunk deeper into the mire of self-wallowing. Every second that passed by, she could feel the tattoo growing hotter and hotter. The harder she tried to not think about the fox demon, the more often his arrogant smirk and lustful eyes and sharpened claws appeared in her mind's eye. Tatsuhana lay on her side, staring into the shadows of the hut. Her eyes sometimes wandered over to the entrance and half-expecting Akio to burst through the doors at any moment to take his prize. He would be too impatient to wait another eight days, and he no doubt wanted revenge for embarrassing him in front of his stooges. The hoarse growl still echoed in her head. So full of rage in her ears, she only imagined him pacing in his brothel, thinking of all the ways he will torture her. It wouldn't be enough to make her his love slave. No, he wouldn't stop there.


	11. Chapter 11

Buzz.

Buzz.

 _Buzz_.

Buzzing, incessant buzzing filled her ear drums. She couldn't hide from the armies of cicadas making their presence known to every creature. Tatsuhana paced the veranda, walking quickly from one end to the other and back again. She chewed on her lower lip until it was red, sore, and bleeding. To her horror, the mark grew bigger. It reached her left wrist now and threatened to spill over her right shoulder. Panic consumed her like a fungal disease. In seven days, _seven_ , she would be under the control of a fox demon unless they found a way to remove the curse. Inuyasha's tardiness did not garner much hope.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Tatsuhana was beginning to wear a trench in the floor.

It was so hot that the ladies cooled themselves off with fans. Sango's twin girls napped in her lap, dozing away while Tatsuhana fretted about. She spent most of the morning trying to keep herself occupied and not thinking about the tattoo literally crawling along her skin. For years, she wanted a tattoo of her own, for aesthetic purposes but was always too scared of social ostracizing to get one done for herself.

But not like this.

Afternoon she spent sweeping, mopping, grinding herbs into powder, and whatever task Kaede could find for her to do. If she didn't have something, Tatsuhana paced about with her finger nails in her mouth. Nail biting was her worst habit, one she'd tried to break for years. It was a terrible, unhealthy habit, but she couldn't help herself. The tattoo was growing bigger, taking up more and more of her skin. She felt like the vines were slowly engulfing her, body and soul. The madness was already starting to weave its way into her mind, ensnaring her. This is what _he_ must have planned all along. To make her go crazy from the start and force her to beg to have the mark removed. He would have her crawling on her hands and knees just to be rid of it. And he would extract any payment in exchange for its removal. The worst part is, Tatsuhana would give anything in return. He pushed her that far.

"Tatsuhana, please sit. You're making the rest of us tired just looking at you pacing." Sango waved her paper fan displaying a swallow, letting the air hit her kids' faces as much as possible.

It was impossibly hot. And no such thing as air conditioning for another five years. Beads of sweat were dribbling down their faces, Tatsuhana's especially. She was in a frantic state that she barely noticed until a drop of sweat stung her eye. But to sit down, to do nothing felt more like giving up and succumbing. She couldn't keep still even if she wanted to. Her blood boiled inside her veins. She was angry and confused and panicked, turning her into a giant ball of excited nerves. Her mind was reeling; her body restless.

"Will tea help?"

Tatsuhana knew Kagome was trying to be helpful. But sneered at the idea.

She didn't have time for tea. She needed to find a way to break the curse before she was consumed by it.

"I'm going for a walk," Tatsuhana announced. She turned her back from the others on the veranda but heard Rin's feet pattering up behind her.

"You shouldn't be going alone, Miss Tatsuhana. I'll go with you!"

"I'd rather be alone. Thank you, Rin." She brushed Rin off and hurriedly began for the river.

Plopping down in a secluded spot on the riverbank, Tatsuhana pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped around arms around her legs. She buried her face in her knees. First, she gasped, whimpering. Then, she started crying. Tears flowed without much prompting. She was alone in a strange place. No friends, no family, and she no longer had any sense of who she was anymore. Lines were blurring. Forgotten memories bubbling to the surface in a great cauldron, frothy and impossibly obscure. Her dreams were getting no better. There were new drawings in her shrinking sketch book of faces she didn't recognize but felt she should, and she felt guilty for not remembering. Her godparents would tell her to do whatever it takes to solve the mystery, to be square her shoulders in the face of so many obstacles. Generally, they gave her very good advice, however, as of late Tatsuhana wasn't in the mood to listen.

Six months. The people who raised her had been gone for less than a year. She buried herself in her studies to avoid talking about it, talking about the gaping hole in her heart where they had been. It was no shock that they would die some day. That's what humans do. They're born. They grow up. Some of them procreate. And then they die. Blink, and it was over. Had she been heartless to think very little of them? Was this karma for not treating their departed spirits with more respect? Tatushana liked to think she'd been more than just a dutiful daughter to the godparents who raised her out of the kindness in their hearts. A strange little girl showed up at their doorsteps, and their first instinct was to take her in. They knew nothing about her and knew nothing about the woman who abandoned her. Financially, she could stand on her own. She could figure things out. They raised her to eventually become independent, prudent, and mentally strong. What they forgot to do was to raise her _emotionally_ independent from them.

Tatsuhana was lost. Irrevocably lost. She was stuck in a little boat out at sea and had no way to find shore. Clouds loomed over head and no beach in sight. What was she supposed to do now? The things she was discovering about herself frightened her. Was she even human?

Sour bile rose in her throat. _Human_ , she thought, _Am I even human?_

A shiver ran down her spine. It had never come up before. No one ever suggested it. Tatsuhana had always been a little...odd, shall we say? She admitted that she truly wasn't like other girls her age growing up. She had, maybe, one friend. She never dated anyone, kissed anyone of her own volition. How she had gone all these years without a strong companion, platonic or otherwise, remained yet another mystery.

Soft padding in the grass warned her that someone was slowly approaching. Their feet were too heavy to belong to Rin. By the sound of it, they wore boots. It couldn't be Inuyasha either. Tatsuhana rubbed her eyes and cheeks. Sniffling, she tried to make herself look more composed but doubted anyone who wasn't blind to fall for it.

"I appreciate the gesture Kagome, but I'd rather be alone right now." She assumed Kagome followed her. When Tatsuhana looked, her first guess was wrong. So very incredibly wrong.

Standing behind her wasn't even a woman, if their armor was anything to go by. Their face left some wiggle room on gender. But it was also a face she had known for years, a face she's drawn in her sketch pads and notebooks ever since she learned how to draw. Tatsuhana knew that contoured face with its sharp lines and masculine jaw. Those golden eyes that stared back at her. It was surreal to see them in color. Those same eyes so often stared back at her in shades of graphite that to finally see them colored was more than she could bear. Tatsuhana's mouth hung open like a useless trap.

"C-Can I help you?" She asked, feeling like a damn fool by the way he looked at her.

He regarded her with steely coldness that would send anybody else running for the hills. And yet, Tatsuhana did not feel afraid. This was an odd sensation. Here stood a man who was armed to the teeth and had a general disregard for most anything that breathed. Or so she presumed by his appearance. Instead, she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach and the oddest sensation that they had met before. Somewhere in some other time. Maybe she was just crazy. Maybe she'd finally succumbed to the mark that fox demon put on her. Maybe she—

"Are you the woman who helped Rin in the brothel?" Bluntly, he asked.

The stranger's question took a moment to register in her brain. His voice...she remembered hearing that voice back there. Akio forced her face into his chest, so she never actually got a chance to look at the interloper. Perhaps because Akio knew she'd find the other man genuinely handsome.

Tatsuhana cleared her throat. "I am. Who's asking?"

"This one is called by Sesshomaru, and I would like to show my gratitude for keeping Rin out of harm's way."

Tatsuhana stood at once. She realized that she had grass stains over her clothes, but with the black hakama, not much would show. Brushing the dirt from her clothes, she seemed more like one of the farmers tilling the fields than anywhere near presentable for the likes of him.

But now wasn't the time to distract herself with outwardly appearances.

"That's...um, that's nice of you, but I don't need anything. I don't like having someone owe me a debt or anything. If I had to do it again, I would. Rin's a good kid and she needed help."

His brows furrowed, barely. It was the slightest hint of expression, possibly a rare one.

"You don't want so much as a 'thank you?'"

Tatsuhana shook her head. "No, I appreciate your gratitude but I couldn't accept it. I was doing what any other decent person would have done in the same situation. It's really no cause for thanking me."

"You are a most peculiar woman." He turned and started for the village.

Tatsuhana waited a minute or two before heading in the same direction. She didn't want him to think she was following him. Besides, it gave her the perfect opportunity to watch him. She spent most of the walk staring at his back, yet she liked watching the bright sunlight shining on his long, white hair. His hair almost glowed in the light. It was perfect despite the lack of hair conditioner in this era. How did he keep it so clean and smooth? Tatsuhana struggled to keep knots out of her hair in the modern era. Admittedly, she was kind of jealous.

Sesshomaru circled round the village rather than walk straight through it. She doubted it was because he was being considerate of the villagers and their fear of demons. He went round with superhuman speed for his own convenience. Rin saw him first. She shot up from her seat on the porch, jumping and running towards him. Tatsuhana arrived just in time to see the girl wrap her arms around one of Sesshomaru's legs. He stiffened as if unused to displays of affection. Hesitantly, he reached down and patted her on the head, running his pale hand over the top of her hair. Rin looked around him and saw Tatsuhana slowly making her way over to them. The little girl immediately let go of Sesshomaru, waving madly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, this is Miss Tatsuhana. She's the one who saved me from that awful fox demon!"

His eyes went wide for a split second before he realized he had revealed more than he wanted to. Sesshomaru honed in that indifference it took centuries to master. His eyes wandered over Tatsuhana as if inspecting a prospective bride or an antique. But by the intensity of his stare, she felt more like he was sizing up an opponent. She tried not to wince or swallow to show her nervousness.

"Miss Tatsuhana, maybe Lord Sesshomaru knows how to get rid of the marks on your arms?" Rin grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and started pulling him towards Tatsuhana.

"Marks?" He said.

"That nasty fox put a curse on her and if she doesn't get rid of it, she'll be forced to become his bride! You must know how to get rid of it, Lord Sesshomaru. You know everything!"

"Rin, you can't just assume—"

"Show me."

Sesshomaru had a knack for bluntness. It was a part of his nature, she supposed. Whether or not he could help where others were clueless, Tatsuhana pushed back her kimono sleeve revealing the endless vines and flowers engulfing her arm. She held out her bared arm to him, though she almost doubted how much help he could be. An electric shock ran up her arm when he took her wrist in his hand. His claws lightly grazed her skin, sending goosebumps over her flesh. Sesshomaru either didn't know or ignored the physical reaction he created in her. He turned her arm over and over. Finally, he released her and Tatsuhana's returned to her side. She pulled her sleeve back down.

"I cannot help you to remove it..."

She thought as much.

"But I can give you the name of one who can," said Sesshomaru.

It was Tatsuhana's turn now to look bug-eyed. "Y-You do?"

Her heart beat so fast. She thought that it would burst from her chest. Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod.

"There is a snake demon who is knowledgeable in demon markings and tattoos. His name is Shiro and he lives a mountain three days from here. Mention my name, he owes me a favor. Take this as a sign of my gratitude."

"That's...very helpful," Tatsuhana managed to say without bending down and groveling at his feet, "But which direction? A mountain three days from here doesn't give us much help. I'm sorry to sound rude, but those directions don't sound fool-proof."

"I will lend you my vassal, then."

* * *

"Lord, ugh, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken struggled to catch his breath. He'd been running this whole time, trying to keep up with his lord and master. It was a shame he had such short legs and limited wind.

Sesshomaru walked past him.

"Ah! We're leaving already? Did you see the child Rin, I take it?"

"No. I'm leaving. You'll be staying," Sesshomaru said.

"Huh?" Jaken couldn't think of a single reason why his Lord Sesshomaru would leave him behind. To guard Rin? No. Sesshomaru would never leave him to that task. It was beneath Jaken's rank as vassal to be a glorified nanny.

"There is a woman in that village who needs to Shiro the snake demon. You will guide her to his cave and take her back home."

Jaken balked at Sesshomaru's orders. He'd rather be a baby-sitter than a guide for a human.

"My, my lord, wouldn't it be better for you to—"

"I'm much too busy to bother with the task. You will follow my orders and take her to Shiro."

Bowing, Jaken pressed his face into the dirt. "As you will, my lord. But, um," he cautiously raised his head. "Which woman in the village am I to escort? What does she look like?"

"You will know her by her green eyes," Sesshomaru answered.

"Green eyes?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru was already well ahead him, starting towards the darkest parts of the forest. "And if you reveal her true identity to anyone, including her, I will kill you."

Jaken wasn't sure what to make of Sesshomaru's second order. Don't reveal her true identity? Whatever did that supposed to mean? It didn't seem bare much weight. Jaken bowed his head until his brow touched the ground.

"As you will, Lord Sesshomaru."

He waited until Sesshomaru had cleared off before getting off the ground and making his way to the village. He slinked around, hoping to avoid as many humans as possible. Jaken detested him. He hated their stink, their round ears, their fragility. Nothing at all like his lord and master, the 'Killing Perfection.' Jaken walked, in no hurry at all, towards the priestess's hut. He found the demon slayer and Inuyasha's woman along with Rin and yet another woman he'd never seen in the village before. As he came forward, he noticed how the fourth female in the group seemed more...Well, he couldn't put his finger on the quality. Powerful? Wise? No. None of those stood out quite enough. She was different that much he could tell. Approaching closer, he understood why. She had jade green eyes. Jaken never saw any human with eyes like that before. How unusual...

"Master Jaken, you're here!" Rin ran towards him.

Jaken relented and allowed the human child to put her grubby hands on his clothing, pulling him towards the hut. She half-dragged him to meet the female with green eyes.

"Miss Tatsuhana, this is Master Jaken. He's Lord Sesshomaru's other vassal.

 _Tatsuhana?_

It took every bit of his self-control not to gape at the woman sitting on the veranda. He remembered Lord Sesshomaru's orders. On pain of death, Jaken would have to keep a not-so-little secret, even from _her._

 _Does this woman really not know?_ Jaken thought to himself.

He stared at her longer than he should have. It started to become obvious. Clearing his throat, he tore his eyes away from the gold-speckled jade eyes and the old coin resting at her throat that seemed to exuding power.

 _If you reveal her true identity to anyone, including her, I will kill you._

"It seems that Lord Sesshomaru has deemed it necessary that I escort you to Master Shiro. I suggest you get your things together as soon as possible, human, if you want to reach him."

He thought he sounded convincing. But just for how long was he supposed to keep this under lock and key? Jaken only had to think of the excruciating pain at Sesshomaru's hand if he said too much. It shouldn't be that difficult.

Right?


	12. Chapter 12

It itched. Her whole skin was alive and hot and _itchy_. All thanks to that cursed tattoo. The _clip-clop_ of her stolen horse was the only thing that kept her centered. Tatsuhana felt the mark crawl its way across her chest, invading her other shoulder and making its way down. She fought for the territory of her brain, pushing the malignant forces back. Images of Akio came unbidden in her mind. His hair, his face, his body. It was almost enough to make her squirm in the saddle.

The imp named Jaken sat in front of her. She reasoned it would take longer if she waited for him to catch up while she rode on the horse. The fact that it was stolen didn't bother her one bit. Akio proved to be useful for one thing, and one thing only. Miroku gave her men's clothes to travel in. Kagome gave her a bag of supplies. Sango gave her a pair of sharp knives and medicine for the road. Her sack, a patched up work of homespun hemp, saw better days. It held her supplies well enough, so it would do for now.

"How much further is it?" Tatsuhana was literally itching to get the tattoo removed as soon as possible.

"Only a day's more. We're traveling much faster than on foot. We should reach Master Shiro cave by tomorrow morning."

"Thank gods!" She wanted to hug him.

"You have a very funny of speaking," Jaken commented quietly.

"As you can tell, I'm not exactly from around here."

 _Do they speak like this in China or wherever that firebird sent her_? Jaken wanted to ask, but Lord Sesshomaru commanded his tongue. Jaken bit the inside of his cheek.

Though the woman did not know, her appearance and bearing belonged not to mere mortals. Jaken found it frustrating that this woman couldn't tell that she was born for greater things, even if she was half-Chinese. The great, departed, Lord had been a comrade and friend to Inutaisho. It was a shame how he spent his last days, married to one of the invading forces. Lord Sesshomaru's instance that this woman did not find out about her true heritage was the most puzzling of all. Why he want to keep her identity a secret? If he was insulted by her existence, he would have quickly cut her down for the mere crime. And yet...Jaken was thankful to have a quiet traveling companion so that he could ponder these mysteries. A reprieve from the usual antics of a rambunctious child like Rin frolicking around the woods.

The strange pair journeyed through the woods. Neither said much. Jaken spoke only to give directions. Both travelers decided that it was better not to make small talk. The silence that fell between them was a release. They both had too much on their minds to speak aloud on the subject preoccupying them. On her part, Tatsuhana didn't know the imp that well enough to say much of anything.

Trotting through the woods, Tatsuhana would have pulled over and whipped out her sketch book to draw the scenery. Living in the chaotic city, there weren't many chances to absorb the way the light dances between the leaves of the forest. The dense forests were mostly gone in her time. The hustle and bustle of so-called progress cut them down. Her foster parents took her with them on a holiday and they rented a cabin in the woods just like this one. She remembered everything in minute detail. The tree branches clashing against the wind, almost applauding one another for their beauty. The way the sun shined through the leaves and how she smelled the earth after it rained. A cobbled-together family enjoying one last vacation together before everything turned to mourning clothes and funeral shrines. Tatsuhana sucked in her breath. Tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes. She would not cry. She wouldn't cry in front of this strange creature with eyeballs too big for its head. Tatsuhana would pull herself together long enough to find a quiet place to weep in privacy.

Times ticks by more quickly without a watch to stare at. Before she realized it, the sun was already setting. In between the trees, Tatsuhana saw the pale blue skies bleed orange and yellow as that glowing ball of fire settled behind a mountain range. They were getting closer at least.

"We should look for a place to make camp before it gets dark," said Tatsuhana.

"I believe there's a clearing a little up ahead. Just keep going forward."

Tatsuhana steered the horse in that direction. The air became slightly more humid as they drew closer. Only by entering the clearing did she see why. Trees gave way to rocky hills, small caverns, and, to her great relief, hot springs. Pines shielded the simmering pools like thick green curtains. The aches in her muscles begged for mercy. Her rump was the worst of it. Tatsuhana, for obvious reasons, never rode a horse before. Well, to her knowledge. Commanding her new steed seemed too natural for a beginner. Then again, she never learned how to weave with a traditional loom before or speak Chinese. So many puzzle pieces, so little time.

It was only fair she helped Jaken set up camp. She tied the horse to a sturdy tree and hoped for the best. Jaken worked on setting up a fire while she laid down a pair of bamboo mats. Not exactly the best of sleeping situations, but she could handle a few more days of it. Her back was sorely in attention of attention. The hot springs were calling to her. Raised in an inn, helping her foster-parents when needed, Tatsuhana knew all about them. Their inn owned one, naturally. Even as she helped make the food, trying not to burn the rice, Tatushana couldn't help but think about the hot springs. Velvet night appeared before long. Despite being centuries away from Tokyo, the forest was alive with more noise than she ever lived with while in the big city. When it was time to sleep, she tossed and turned, unable to shut her eyes for a few moments. If it wasn't the crickets chirping too loud, it was the cicadas buzzing without rest. And if it wasn't the cicadas, it was the tiny little noises all around them. A branch cracking, a rustle in the bush, the wind brushing the surface of the hot springs. Tatsuhana could not find one moment of rest.

She sat up in the middle of the night. Turning her head up towards the skies, Tatsuhana stared at the stars she would never see in a Tokyo. Countless numbers twinkling above her with clouds sailing. The moon, in its nearly full state, moved across the sky like a ship tossed upon the seas. Science said these would be the same stars back home if Tokyo had a sudden and complete black out. These stars traveled millions of light-years to now, and five hundred years from now. Time seemed overtly complex. It wasn't something she spent any amount of thought on. It never seemed important. Tossed five hundred years into the past, and suddenly it seemed to be the only thing that mattered. A week or so had passed since she was ripped from her world. Tatsuhana wondered as she stared at the sky how things were going. Had anyone noticed her disappearance? Was there anyone looking for her? She could count the number of people who might have cared on her hand. And for a moment, she was infinitely sad.

So few people would miss her, as if it was destiny's way of saying that she did not belong in that era, but where else would she go? Tatsuhana slid her kimono sleeve up to her elbow. The firelight cast a glow against the stark red vines and flowers creeping down her arm. She saw in her mind's eye Akio's red hair cascading behind his back like a wall of fire. His amber eyes stared back at her, full of promise and wickedness. A shiver ran down her spine. Tatsuhana tore her sleeve back down and rose to her feet.

"I'm going for a bath," she said loudly.

Jaken stirred. He hadn't yet fallen fully asleep but was awoken from a little snooze. He rubbed his eyes just in time to see Tatsuhana marching for the hot spring. Jaken jumped up at once, fully roused. A bath would be out of question this late at night. The smell of her bare skin would attract too many predators for him to handle. Though he still carried the Staff of Two Heads, it would be foolish to assume he could defend the both of them with it alone. Certainly, he could run away and leave the woman to her fate. If only Lord Sesshomaru hadn't made it abundantly clear that he would kill Jaken if he proved himself a coward and disobeyed his master's orders to watch out for the woman.

"At this hour, woman? Are you mad?"

Tatsuhana shot him a look from over her shoulder. There were few creatures that could pin Jaken to a spot with just a stare. Lord Sesshomaru held that sort of power without saying a word or unsheathing his sword. This woman had that same ability. The fire made yellow flecks spark in her green eyes. No one yet had been able to pierce through him like Lord Sesshomaru with just a mere glance. Until today.

"Just because I'm dressed like a man doesn't mean I need to smell like one. I'll only be gone for a few minutes. You can hold down the fort for that long, can't you?"

"W-well," Jaken stammered.

Before he could make a successful rebuttal, Tatsuhana had already disappeared behind the trees. Jaken looked about himself as if their campsite or the horse could offer some hint as to what he was supposed to do now. Did she expect him to stand guard while she bathed? Hurriedly and without thinking, he ran after her through the trees. By the time he got there, she had already let down her hair and started to remove her clothes. Tatsuhana squealed and covered her bare chest with her arms. Jaken shielded his eyes with his kimono and turned his back towards her.

"Is there something you want?"

Jaken felt the earth tremble at her voice. Any louder and she would wake the entire forest and the creatures that lurked within it.

"Would you like...um, assistance?"

"What?"

"I mean, I mean..."

"If you're asking me if I need help washing for any reason other than perverted ones, I must respectfully decline. I'm more than old enough to wash myself, thank you very much. Just stay awake long enough for me to finish and wait over there."

Jaken didn't need to be told twice. He ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him over to the tree line. He could not see her but he could hear her stripping away all the garments and climbing into the water. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to get the image out of his brain. At his age, he witnessed various forms of demon flesh, sometimes of the female variety. Jaken averted his gaze now because of Lord Sesshomaru. He ordered Jaken to watch over this woman, not ogle.

Jaken let his mind return to those questions that had been on his mind since his lord departed. Why would Lord Sesshomaru go out of his way to send assistance to a woman like her? He had some pity for the creature known as Kagura, but they were closer alike than Lord Sesshomaru and this woman. It didn't even seem like she had any abilities other than glaring him into submission. She was not what one might expect from a dragon's daughter.

Her skin itched. If she had to wear these clothes a moment longer, Tatsuhana would never wear anything ever again. Once Jaken made himself scarce, she removed the rest of her clothes and folded them neatly. She put them near the edge of the large pool. Easy to spot in case somebody tried to steal them and easy to reach if she needed to cover herself up.

Even though her reflection was murky in the hot spring, the bright red was vibrant as blood on her skin. The curse reached to both wrists like full-sleeve tattoos. The top of her chest and starting down her breasts the flowers and vines was imprinted by Akio's mark. She forgotten to grab a washcloth from her bag. Disgruntled, Tatsuhana climbed in slowly and rubbed her skin with the simmering water.

Unbidden, Akio's face once more appeared inside her mind. She had scrubbed herself clean after escaping the brothel, but that wasn't enough. She could still feel him on her even though they had barely touched. A blush creeped across her face. Tatsuhana sneered at the marks slowly engulfing her body like a disease. Because of it, she wanted to find him and...What? Demand that he remove the curse if she agreed to be his? Spend the rest of her life as his wife? Or worse, his concubine. Considering the era she was trapped in, a concubine was just as likely as becoming his wife. Tatsuhana shuddered. Despite the warm temperature of the water, a shiver managed to rip down her spine. An itch appeared in the back of her head. She felt something watching her, but when she turned to look, nothing was there. She couldn't see Jaken though she did hear him snoring.

"My strong guardian," she mumbled.

With Jaken napping, it probably wasn't a good idea to linger for much longer. Tatsuhana pulled herself out. She put on the kimono but not the hakama. Retreating from the hot springs, Tatsuhana padded over to her sleeping area. It was nothing more than a bamboo mat and what passed for a blanket in this era. Her folded-up hakama made for a decent enough pillow for the time being. A lot better than nothing at all. Tatsuhana spotted Jaken slumped against a tree, his frightening Staff of Two Heads leaned towards the ground. She stretched out on her mat. Though sleep didn't come quickly, it came after a while. She managed to catch a few winks before waking up again.

It was still early in the morning. The sun was no where near rising. Tatsuhana stirred awake. As if she sensed someone watching her sleep. A branch snapped. Her eyes opened wide at the sound. She sat ramrod straight and looked around the shadows. The fire had nearly burned out. She stared long and hard into the forests but was unable to make out any kind of threatening shapes. But she heard them. Snickering from men hiding behind the bushes and trees. Tatsuhana rose and quickly put on the rest of her clothes. Luckily, she found her horse still tethered to a low-hanging branch. She left the sleeping mat and blanket on the ground and saddled up the horse.

"Jaken, wake up, we're leaving."

The imp stirred. Bleary-eyed, he shook off sleep.

"Wh-what is this nonsense, woman?" He mumbled.

Tatsuhana was already in the saddle. She drove the horse towards him and grabbed Jaken by the back of his kimono. He almost dropped his only weapon, the Staff of Two Heads, in the haste. Tatsuhana sat him in front of her before tugging hard on the reins. Horse and riders sped off into the woods.

"Woman! What are you doing?"

"My name is not 'woman.' It's Tatushana!"

She sensed them pursuing behind them. Footsteps ran after them. These couldn't be human! Fifteenth century or not, what human could outrun a speeding horse? The horse's hooves pounded the earth, breaking tree limbs and fallen debris. Dirt kicked behind them in the mad race to find a safe refuge from their pursuers. Tatsuhana could hear them laughing as she steered the horse into the pre-dawn shadows lingering around them. Early morning mist clung to the earth like a blanket. Whispers followed after them, swirling about the horse's feet like ghosts. The sky remained a deep velvet without a moon and very few stars in sight. Her eyes adjusted to the near pitch-blackness; she managed to duck or steer the horse out of danger. Running she dared not look back at those who might be following.

At a clearing, they stopped. The footfalls and laughter disappeared in the woods. Tatsuhana saw and heard no more. Except for the poor horse who was panting hard from the effort. She dismounted the horse and gave it a little snack from her bag as a reward. Jaken wasted no time dismounting too. He shook off the dust from his sleeves. His bulging eyes narrowed on Tatsuhana.

"What?" She wondered why he looked so perturbed.

"What do you mean 'what?' You wake me in the middle of the night to take a bath, then you wake me a few hours later and nearly get us killed running into the forest, and you ask me 'what?'"

"But did you die?"

"That hardly seems—"

Footsteps surrounded them on all sides. Jaken and Tatsuhana stepped closer to the horse. Figures moved from behind the densely packed shrubs and trees. Mist parted before them. Demons of every shape and color and size walked into the clearing. Some more attractive than others. But each had hungry eyes and mouths watering. Her blood turned to ice. Her hands gripped the leather reins but she could not unclench them.

"Gentlemen." That much she could muster.

The tattoo on her flesh began to burn. It sizzled as more 'ink' was added somewhere on her body. She felt it crawl down her stomach where it stopped near her belly button.

 _Great_. She cursed.

"Now what is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" One of the more attractive demons stepped forward.

His eyes were the color of solid gold and his hair was like black ink, nearly melting into the shadows surrounding him. His hair was parted in a way that covered half his face. Possibly to hide a hideous secret beneath. He had a smile both licentious and dreadful. A perfect serial killer who'd take you out to a romantic dinner before slitting your throat in the back alley.

"Out for a midnight ride?" Tatsuhana offered up a nervous smile.

"Where we are going is none of your business, fiend! This woman is under Lord Sesshomaru's protection. If any harm comes to her, or me, his most loyal and respected vassal, you will not live long enough to regret it!"

Tatsuhana balked at Jaken's words. Her jaw hit the forest floor. She crouched down beside him. She could feel him shuddering like a leaf in the wind.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

"Leave it to me, woman. They wouldn't dare lay a hand on Lord Sesshomaru's vassals."

"First of all, stop calling me 'woman!' Second..."

A toad-like demon lumbered forward. "If you are the vassals of the _great_ Lord Sesshomaru, why would he send you out by yourselves, hm? I do not see your master, so as far as we're all concerned you and the woman are fair game."

"I have a name you know." Tatsuhana ground her teeth. Now wasn't the best time to be getting agitated about name calling, but the 'woman' issue was getting on her last nerve.

A third came slithering from the mist and shadows. He wasn't too bad looking from the waist up, but the lower snake half was a definite _no_. "And if he was so obliged, he would not let such a beauty out of his sight. If he cared at all for his possession, he wouldn't have let another mark her like that."

The first demon snickered, "We smelled its scent from miles away. Drawing moths to a flame."

Tatsuhana tugged her clothes tighter to her chest. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She saw the desperate hunger burning in their eyes. The kind of hunger for more than meat and drink. A virgin like her knew what lust looked like. She licked her lips out of nervous habit and tasted the hard tension in the air. She could not swallow past the hard lump that formed in her gullet. A boulder had been wedged down her throat.

She and Jaken could still escape on the horse. But she doubted it. Demons could certainly outrun a horse. She could fight, but there must have been six demons edging closer. A knife was not suited for a fight like this. It would mean getting up close and personal to each one of these things. It would involve a great deal of blood. How much stronger than an average human was she? Tatsuhana doubted that even if she had the supernatural strength to stop a speeding car it would stop a group of demons intent doing far worse than eating her alive. Six against two. Not good chances. Not good at all.

If she couldn't rely on weapons or strength, then Tatushana would have to resort to using her most powerful tool. She would have to be clever, very clever indeed.

Tatsuhana swallowed hard. Her blood pulsed. She watched as a couple of the demons licked their lips.

 _Be clever. Be clever. Be clever._

Akio's tattoo thrummed in answer. Heat spread through her body as if calling out to someone or something. The demons stopped all at once and smelled the air. Tatsuhana felt her blood, throbbing beneath her veins, turn to ice. Six pairs of eyes turned on her, pealing away her clothes. The tattoo throbbed and spread heat throughout her body. A fever turned her brains to mush.

 _Focus. Focus. Be smart. Be clever. Be clever. Be clever._

"Woman!" Jaken snapped at her.

Tatsuhana didn't bother to correct him again. Instead all of her attentions went to the half dozen demons encroaching closer now.

"Wait!" The word almost came out as a scream out of her mouth.

The demons paused long enough to let her have one final word. They were all licking their lips and clawing at the ground to get to her. They'd tear Jaken and the horse to ribbons before working on her. Tatsuhana took one shaky step forward. She steeled her face.

"If you all try at the same time, you'll just each in other's way. There won't be anything left of me to fight over. I'm only one woman. Grant me this...the one who remains standing..." Bile rose in her throat. "Gets to have me."

The demons looked at each other. They considered for a split second. In less than a heartbeat, they were on each other. Snarling and ripping at each. Biting their way through each other. They were so desperate for her flesh that they seemed to forget their purpose in tracking her. Blood spilled over the forest floor. Copper tainted the air. Tatsuhana picked Jaken up again and threw herself and him back into the saddle. A kick to the horse's ribs sent it careening back into the forest.

Howling demons faded into the distance as Tatsuhana put ample space between them. Jaken did not complain while they rode into morning. The demons seemingly killing each other in the process of getting to their prize. Tatsuhana scrunched up her nose. She could still smell the coppery stink in her nose. It was sharp enough that she could taste it on her tongue. The horse was exhausted by the first rays of light pouring in between the trees. All three of them collapsed in the dirt and grass. Tatsuhana and Jaken slept at the base of a tree.

She didn't know how long they slept only that by the time she awoke, her back was stiff from sleeping against the hard trunk of a Japanese pine all morning. It was still morning when Tatsuhana stretched and yawned. In the modern era, she would never be able to tell when it was morning without a clock. She spent so long here that she had to learn the time by the movements of the sun. Judging by its position now, it couldn't have been later than around eleven in the morning but not close to noon. The horse had gotten up and munched on grass. She wondered why it had not strayed. Perhaps she road it too hard and it didn't have the strength to go off on its own. Jaken stirred next.

"Well," he got up and dusted off his kimono. "That was certainly an adventure. I must say, I didn't expect you to come up with such a clever ploy so quickly."

Tatsuhana grimaced. She really shouldn't be fishing for compliments, especially ones like that.

"Why did they follow us? What were they going to do to me?"

That question had plagued her mind before her body's exhaustion overcame her fear. She didn't want to sleep out in the open, not with the chance that more demons would come looking of her. Her body did not have the strength to keep her eyes open.

Jaken looked at her for a moment. He inhaled deeply and sighed. He looked away as he spoke.

"The mark that the fox demon placed on you is a curse used by petty fiends when they cannot gain a female's affection soon enough. It is a nasty, nasty trick used only by the most deviant. The fox demon scented you with his mark, but that only attracts more demons. They are attracted to the smell and are compelled to overpower his mark."

"H-how would they do that?" More bile rose in her throat. Her wrangled guts knew the answer, but for some masochist reason, she needed hear the words aloud.

"They would... _consummate_ their intent and bite you."

"And if I was unwilling?"

For the first time, Jaken looked at her with pity. Honest pity.

"It would not matter to them. Only the need to possess you and your body would matter to the demon who managed to finish what the fox started."

Tatsuhana leaned over to the side and emptied her stomach. Once her belly had been hallowed out, she wept. Loudly and openly. Jaken remained silent throughout. She doubted he would know what to do or say if he knew anything at all. In that moment, she wished for more than anything else that a hole opened up underneath her and swallowed her whole. Fate just wasn't on her side.

"You poor, pretty thing..."

Tatsuhana felt her blood freeze. What little remained in her stomach started its way up. Of the six demons that chased after her and fought each other to claim her body, one remained. Tracking blood, he emerged from the other side of the forest. His body was pale as the moon; his hair was ink falling over his shoulders. He trained golden eyes on her. A serpentine smile leered back at her white, bloodless face. His robes and armor were drenched in blood. Tatsuhana could smell him from where she sat in the dirt. The tattoo hummed in response to his presence as if to beacon him closer.

"Where is your lord if a ward of Lord Sesshomaru you be? Why would he let such a sweet-smelling prize be marked by another? Unless, of course, he grew bored of you and decided to trade?"

Tatsuhana ground her teeth. "Shut your dirty mouth. I was marked against my will."

"Most are, my dear, most are. That is what happens when a willful female does not understand her place."

His eyes roved over her body. They pinpointed the spot on her neck where Akio's mark was the epicenter for the tattoo marring her body. Tatsuhana pulled her kimono tight across her chest. He killed five demons to get to her. Jaken would be cut into bloody ribbons. Then nothing and no one would stand in his way of claiming her body. But to be sure, Tatsuhana would go down kicking and clawing.


	13. Chapter 13

Tatsuhana pushed back her shoulders and straightened her spine. With a determined chin, she started towards the demon.

Jaken panicked behind her. "T-Tatsuhana, what are you doing?"

She kept her eyes on the demon standing in front of her. He grinned like a madman, but she wasn't about to make things easy.

"Take the horse and go. I'll be fine."

"Are you daft, woman?"

"Just do it!"

Tatsuhana almost never raised her voice. Not even to the stray cats mating in the alley below her window. If she was to be raped, she wasn't going to have an audience. Jaken, reluctantly, led the horse away. Tall grass and twigs broke behind her. Until she heard the horse's hooves disappear, did she dare step another inch.

"How do you want to do this?" Tatsuhana asked.

The demon held out his hand. He smiled at her with a silent command.

Tatsuhana stepped forward. She trained her eyes on his face and did not look at his arm or anywhere else. Her stomach curled inside her. Her body was tired and sore despite the long rest. Tatsuhana also couldn't ignore the shaking in her knees. Each step took more effort than the last. She kept her eyes on his face. She imagined driving her fist into jaw and knocking out teeth. Breaking his nose. Clawing out his eye. Tatsuhana didn't like violence and never thought of herself as a particularly violent person. Yet, the thought of willing giving herself up to this demon was the last thing on her mind. If she was going to be raped, then she would at least make sure he'd bare marks as he hurt her.

Tatsuhana got within arm's length of him when she got an even better idea. As foolhardy as it was, there was still a chance.

Shaking, her hand hovered over his. Tatsuhana looked in his eyes and felt naked. Small. Insignificant. A doll for him to abuse. Rancor filled her guts. Fear gave way to anger. She might not have been a violent person, but she also wasn't the kind of woman who lay back without a fight. He wouldn't stop after the first time. He was greedy. He killed five other demons to have even the chance of owning her. He wouldn't stop after one time. A lifetime of abuse, Tatsuhana could not and would not endure that.

Tatsuhana grabbed his wrist instead of taking his hand. She braced the other in the crook of his elbow. With the least bit of effort on her part, and because of his shock, Tatsuhana hefted him up and over her shoulder. The demon was looking up at the sky blank-faced before his brows furrowed into a deep V-shape. Tatsuhana took several steps back as he got to his feet again. He whipped around, snarling. His mouth was full of sharpened teeth and the black pupils of his eyes were dangerous slits.

"You're going to regret that!"

He lunged. Tatsuhana was prepared for that. Once he was in range, she shoved her palm into his throat with as much force she could muster. The demon staggered back clutching his neck. He wheezed and snarled some more. The force knocked him back a foot but couldn't knock him down. She didn't think. Thinking would be what got her hurt or killed. Thinking cost too much time. She had to act and act quickly. The demon gave her no other choice.

Her body seemingly moved on its own accord. He attacked, so her body reacted in kind. Tatsuhana had martial arts training. On her foster-mother's insistence, Tatsuhana learned basic hand-to-hand combat skills. She somehow knew Tatsuhana would need those skills, but probably not for this.

And it wasn't so much her skill that caught the demon off guard. He was surprised that she didn't just lay down and wait for him and that she was so much stronger than he appeared. But that wasn't it. He was surprised most of all by the seemingly bizarre movements and attacks. To him, Tatsuhana repelled him with strange martial arts. A demon living in 16th century Japan wouldn't know anything about taekwondo, and whatever else she knew.

A few well-placed kicks and surprise attacks, the demon hardly knew what to do. That isn't to say Tatsuhana went unscathed. His claws found her. He tore her clothing to shreds, leaving the kimono to hang in sad rags on her arms. Her blood tinged the ground. As often as she surprised him with a kick or had no defense against her modern—futuristic—martial arts, the demon retaliated with claws and fangs and his own brute strength.

Sweat dribbled into her eyes but she fought past the sting. One way or another, she was going to beat him and escape. No matter if he came back for revenge. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, Tatsuhana just wanted to survive long enough without being violated.

She boxed his ears, disorienting him. Tatsuhana jumped back as he held his head between his hands. No doubt his pointed ears were ringing and was reeling from the sharp slap he received. His howling gave her a clear indication that now was the time to book it while there was still time. Tatsuhana turned to run. She had her eyes focused dead ahead of her. The trees formed a sheltered embrace that would hide her from the monster who set his mind to raping her and cursing her to remain by his side for as long as he found amusement in her. Despite the pain in her aching legs, Tatsuhana started running.

One foot in front of the other, she ran. She ran faster than she ever had in her life. She stretched out her arm to push the greenery aside to aide her escape. Her vision saw the limbs of trees one moment, and in the next she saw grass. Half her face was planted in the dirt.

Tatsuhana's heart pounded in her chest as she quickly became aware of the weight pressing against her back. Clawed hands held her wrists in the dirt and his body held her legs down. Pinning her, Tatsuhana sealed her eyes and waited for this dark hour to be over and done with. If she was lucky, he would kill afterwards just for making him exceed the effort of catching her like this.

"I must admit," he growled between breaths. "I did not expect... _that_."

Tatsuhana glued her mouth shut. She wasn't about to say something stupid that would make her situation so much worse than it already was. She liked to think she was smarter than to run her mouth at a time like this.

 _Please just get it over with!_

Salty tears stung her eyes. Her eyelids were shut so tightly together, the tears had a hard time reaching the surface. Tatsuhana would rather go blind than let him see her cry. Harsh breath escaped from the both. She flexed her fingers in one last hope of an escape. Perhaps throw dirt in his eyes and flee while he writhed in pain. But no. He held her hands down with an iron-clad hold. Nothing would break him or convince him to stop.

What kind of demon would he be if he just let her go after all that?

He let go of one just only to grab both her hands in one of his. Freed, he reached for the already torn shoulder of her kimono. With a violent rip, the fabric came away from her skin. In dread, her body shivered. She felt her hair being brushed to the side, almost gently. He ran his nose along the side of her neck. Covering half of her back, Akio's mark spread. The vines and flowers turned to fire, burning her skin at the slightest hint of another demon's touch. Tatsuhana yelped as if pricked by a hot poker. Her senses became filled with the last man—demon she wanted to see. His scent was so close, she thought he stood in front of her.

"Your flesh is hot. So ripe, so fresh. I hardly know what to do with myself." The demon chuckled. His voice was husky.

His tongue flicked at the center of the spreading vines where Akio bit her. Tatsuhana writhed in pain and, to her horror, pleasure. Something stirred inside her that cried out to be taken like this. The poisonous curse turned her brain to mush. Red smoke choked out her common sense. Her mouth hung open as she gasped and moaned, unable to control her voice.

Tatsuhana cried. The tears she shed were bitter drops falling to the ground. She hadn't the strength or the willpower to fight anymore. She felt the control over her body slipping from her grasp. Further and further away her mind slipped into a fog of red clouds, like the smoke Akio enjoyed puffing into the air. She hated herself. She was disgusted with herself. She wanted to disembowel her.

"The marking is effecting your mind, isn't it?" The demon breathed next to her face. He snickered right in her ear. "The marking was meant for someone else, but since he was a coward, the strongest must now take responsibility. Your body is no longer you own. All it knows is that its desires must be fulfilled. Though your body might reject me now, in a moment, I will override the original mark with my own. And then, your body, along with the rest of you, will belong to me."

He gave her another lick, from her shoulder to her jaw. Tatsuhana writhed and bucked against him. She gave one last ditch effort to break out of his hands, but her body was so wracked with nerves and conflicting emotions that she couldn't. The demon nipped her ear in warning.

"None of tha—"

Tatsuhana's ears could have been mistaken. It was not a sword being unsheathed that cut the demon mid-sentence, was it?

Before she could think, the demon's body was kicked away from shortly after a spray of something dark and warm bathed her from shoulders up. The back of her head was covered in the stuff, whatever it was. Slowly, she rolled over onto her side.

The demon lay not far from her. Headless. A pool of blood spreading from the stump. His head fell into the thicket and disappeared. Shaking, Tatsuhana raised her head. Her heart sank, thinking it was a bigger, badder demon that came to take the former's place. She quickly got on her knees, fully prepared to beg if need be. But that wouldn't matter in the least. Because standing in front of her, wiping his blade clean was the fabled Sesshomaru. He had his back turned to her as if he was granting her some modesty in these horrid circumstances. A wave of embarrassment crashed into her as soon as she released that she needn't grovel to keep her chastity.

"L-Lord Sessho—" Tatsuhana began but he cut her off quickly.

"Where is Jaken?" He asked.

It took her a moment to remember. Tatsuhana pointed towards the woods.

"I sent him off with my horse. I didn't...I didn't want..." Her voice trailed off.

He sheathed his sword. The sound made Tatsuhana shiver. Like a warning to be quiet. Then, Sesshomaru did something surprising. He pulled a kosode out of thin air and tossed it towards. Not once did he glance in her direction, both comforting and unnerving. Tatsuhana didn't waste time making it perfect. Just using it to cover herself. She trailed behind Sesshomaru who had started hiking through the woods without a further word to her. He was easy to track with his glossy white hair falling down his back and his armor and kimono so absurdly inhuman that he might as well wear a sign that said, 'I'm a demon.'

It didn't take them long to find Jaken either. They found him, dejected, moping in the dirt.

"Lord Sesshomaru's going to kill me. Not only did I fail bringing that woman to Master Shiro, another demon is having his way with her. That poor woman..."

At the sound of their footsteps, Jaken snapped his head in their direction. He took one look at Tatsuhana, roughed up but inviolate as far as he could tell.

"Lady Tatsuhana, you're unharmed!" He sprung to his feet, knelt, and planted his forehead deeply into the ground as he begged forgiveness of Sesshomaru.

"Wait. _Lady_ Tatsuhana?" Her brows furrowed at the title. Up to that point, Jaken had insisted on calling her _woman_.

"Where is the horse?" Asked Sesshomaru.

Tatsuhana thought herself a smart woman. Demanding to know where the horse was after she asked a perfectly logical question was called diversion.

"Never mind the horse. I want to know why he called me that."

"I let it pasture beyond these trees. I'll fetch it at once!" Jaken scurried off into the woods, leaving Tatsuhana and Sesshomaru good and alone.

She grabbed his sleeve and stepped in front of him before he could take another step. Tatsuhana dared to look him in the eye and keep contact while she spoke.

"It won't be soon for me to forget what he just called me. Rin tells me a lot about the two of you. _A lot_. She's told me that he rarely calls her by name half the time and up to half an hour ago, he was calling 'woman.' I don't think ever once he addressed me by name, let alone with a title. He doesn't even do that with Rin, who's known you far longer than I have. Why did he call me _Lady_ Tatsuhana?"

Sesshomaru was already walking ahead of her. It wasn't that he was walking away particularly fast, but his long legs made for greater strides. Luckily for Tatsuhana, it didn't much effort to catch up to him. She wasn't even out of breath by the time she reached him.

"Excuse me, I asked you a question. Why did Jaken just call me _Lady_?"

Sesshomaru merely glanced at her and continued in the direction Jaken disappeared off to. He seemed to watch her from the corner of his eye before turning his attention ahead of him.

"The less you know, the better it will be for you," Sesshomaru answered.

Tatsuhana's brows furrowed. Her skin felt hot to the touch even where Akio's mark hadn't reached yet. She flushed with anger.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer this time. Tatsuhana's hands curled into fists at her sides. She walked behind him. Jaken ran to meet them, dragging the horse by reins in tow. Tatsuhana walked up to the horse and started to climb back into the saddle. Her legs trembled as she struggled to climb up. She braced her foot in the stirrup, but her legs shook violently as she tried to clamber the rest of way. Her stomach rumbled for wont of food and her throat felt like a funnel of desert sand. The near rape shook her core. Her body was coming down from the sky-high amount of adrenaline pumping through her blood stream.

Suddenly, she felt hands grab her waist and lift her effortlessly off the ground. Clawed fingers dug gently into her sides. They pinched but did not break the skin. Tatsuhana yelped at the surprise. She whipped her around to see who it was only to find Sesshomaru of all people helping her into the saddle. Once she was settled, Tatsuhana rode side-saddle and allowed Sesshomaru to take the reins. She opened her mouth to thank him, and then quickly shut it. He didn't deserve her gratitude if he wasn't going to answer a simple question. She glanced at Jaken who followed not far behind the horse. He flinched when Tatsuhana looked in his general direction, but she doubted it was her he was afraid of.

Sesshomaru's presence seemed to have scared off other predators, demons and animals alike. They wandered through the forest without further trouble. They had to stop only once by a stream to allow Tatsuhana to wash some of the blood off her body. Continuing, the three of them didn't stop until they came upon the base of a small mountain. The outside looked like a hermitage. A fire pit sat out in the open but not far from the mouth of a cave. By the mouth stood some posts with rope strung in between from which hung some clothes. A bamboo mat leaned against the opening to the cave. Tatsuhana wondered who should announce their presence when she saw the mat being moved.

Into the afternoon light, a man emerged from the cave. He wore flimsy sandals and pants bunched at his ankles. The right side of his intricate kimono was left to hang off the side from his waist. His uncovered arm bore a green and white snake tattoo writhing in blue water. The tattoo encased his entire arm from the wrist to his shoulder. His fingertips and hands were dyed in various colors of ink or paint. He wore his short white hair in a ponytail which draped over his left shoulder. Around his neck, he wore a bronze lotus-shaped necklace and a bracelet of dark stone on his right wrist.

"Sesshomaru, to what do I owe this distinct honor?" He smiled.

Tatushana almost blushed. Even from a distance, he seemed handsome. She shook her head; she wasn't thinking clearly.

"Do you recall that you owe me a favor, Shiro?"

Shiro nodded, "How can I forget?"

Sesshomaru led the horse and Tatsuhana a little further ahead. Tatsuhana started to dismount. Sesshomaru helped her the rest of the way despite of her protests. She stumbled forward, legs still shaking.

"She has something that needs to be removed," said Sesshomaru.

"A-a fox demon bit me and now..."

Shiro's eyes flew open for a moment. He closed the space between him and Tatsuhana. He reached for her neck. Instinctively, Tatsuhana flinched out of his reach. Her cheeks were burning red now. Shiro looked her up and down. She washed most of the blood from her skin, but she didn't have spare clothes beyond the kosode Sesshomaru pulled from nowhere. Her kimono was quite thoroughly stained with blood, hers and the demon she fought.

"I apologize." Shiro bowed from the waist. "I was only trying to get a better look at what I'm working with. If you don't mind showing me the mark, please."

Tatsuhana slowly released her hands from her chest. She didn't realize that she had been clutching at the fabric of kimono. She pushed the kimono away from her shoulder and pulled her hair to the side to allow Shiro a better look. His fingers briefly grazed her skin where Akio bit her. Her skin flared with white-hot heat. Her body couldn't handle it; her knees buckled underneath her. Shiro managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Tatsuhana became vaguely aware of someone—unsure who—scooping her up and carrying her a distance. The scorching heat running through her body made thinking too hard. Her brain was as numb as her body. Only the coolness of the mountain's interior alerted her.

Shiro laid her on a straw mat on a dais carved out of the dark rock. He knelt beside her while he worked to examine the tattoo slowly consuming her flesh. A lamp helped, but she doubted he needed much more than that to see in the dark. His serpentine yellow eyes practically glowed in the shadows of the cave. A pair of footsteps arrived, one heavy and the other light.

Shiro gave her some modesty by covering her chest with the kosode. He had already seen what he needed to.

"I'm afraid it's getting worse. There is a component that we are missing that is speeding up the process. She is showing negative reaction to touch, and I see the beginnings of a fever. By tomorrow, the mark will cover all of her torso before moving southward."

Tatsuhana raised her hands to eye level and nearly screamed. Her hands were covered in red vines and flowers. She didn't think to check how far along the curse was spreading. Her fingertips, including her nails, weren't spared by the mark. Akio's design painted her fingernails with twisting, cloying, choking vines. And if what Shiro said was true, then there wasn't time at all left.

"T-there has to be a way...to lift it. Please! Please, I don't...don't want..."

"There are a couple of ways to break the curse-mark, but I must warn you that there isn't much time left before you're completely under the demon's thrall. Do you understand?"

Tatsuhana nodded so fast she made her head spin. Shiro left her side and padded over to a shelf carved out of the rock. He took a wooden bottle that looked like a gourd. A pink tassel dangled from the tip.

"I made this for a young lady who came by a few days ago," Shiro's face grew solemn. "Unfortunately, she didn't make it in time. You are to rub this oil into the bite mark three times a day for the remainder of the curse. On the last day, you must have the demon or a demon stronger than him to bite you in the same place, overriding the curse."

Tatsuhana blushed at his answer.

"Another way is to outright kill the demon before the eighth day. Depending on how strong he is, that might not work. Even in death, his curse-mark could continue to grow and consume."

She liked Shiro's other answer even less. "Can it be done sooner? If I use the oil?"

"No. Unfortunately, it cannot. It must be longer than a day for the oil to settle into the curse-mark's center. Even if you applied it once every few hours, it wouldn't have the same effect and you'd just be wasting the oil. Those are the only two choices I can provide you. I'm sorry." Shiro turned to Sesshomaru. "Would you like a moment alone?"

"Whatever for?" Tatsuhana saw one of Sesshomaru's frosty brows shoot up towards the cave's ceiling.

"I thought you would want some time to discuss the situation with your...um, what is she to you again?"

"It's none of your concern what she is to me," Sesshomaru growled.

Shiro put up his hands defensively, "Sorry I asked. At any rate, I wouldn't recommend she leave immediately. At least let her rest a little. I have some spare clothes she can borrow so she doesn't travel in a soiled kimono."

"That would be appreciated, Shiro. Let this one know when you're done."

He and Jaken disappeared to linger outside the cave and wait on her. Tatsuhana stared at the ceiling for ages. Her skin was hot; her blood burned. There was even less time than she thought, and she was wasting it feeling sorry for herself.

"Are you…alright?"

She swallowed past the thump in her throat.

"No. No, I am not alright!" Tatsuhana blurted out.

She sat up on the mat, holding the kosode up to her chest. "I am _not_ alright. In less than five days, I'm going to be turned into a brainless nymphomaniac for the man who did this to me. I can't take two steps without feeling sick to my stomach. I'm far from home and I'm stuck here indefinitely on top of being cursed by a handsy demon. What part of my situation do you think is going _alright_ for me?"

Shiro turned from her and started towards an alcove across the chamber. He rifled through an ornate trunk, pulling out clothes. He dumped them on the bed without saying a word. Tatsuhana saw him pull out a pipe from inside the sleeve of his kimono, lit it, and slowly make his way to the mouth of his cavernous home. Smoke filled the chamber briefly before it vanished in the air as he walked out, leaving nothing more than a trail of sweet-smelling herbs in his wake.

Tatsuhana picked up the clothes Shiro unceremoniously dumped at her feet. They were bold, almost costume-y. She hissed as she removed her clothes. The demon she fought left several cuts on her body and bruises on her arms. Nothing that would scar but the memory she would not soon forget. She slithered out of her blood-soaked clothes. They dropped to her feet and she kicked them aside. The cool air nipped at her bare flesh before she quickly dawned the kosode Sesshomaru had given her. Tatsuhana dressed herself in the kimono woven with a strange, horned carp swimming along the bottom. She tied a blue obi behind her back rather successfully. It was good enough to hold her clothes together until she reached the village. The only thing she kept were her sandals. She slipped them on and padded over to the entrance, after grabbing the container of oil she left on the sleeping mat.

She met Shiro sitting on a rock just outside the entrance, puffing smoke into the air. A wreath of pinkish smoke haloed around his head. Tatsuhana bowed from the waist.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness. I just—"

"You don't need to apologize. The situation must be very stressful for you. I hope you know that not every demon would stoop to such levels. For what's it's worth, I'd gut the man myself if I knew who he was." Shiro took a long drag from his pipe and had the decency to blow the smoke away from Tatsuhana's face. He continued, "I hope you find the bastard too. I saw those defensive wounds. You put up a fight with the last guy who tried, didn't you?"

"Well, I had to. He didn't give me a choice."

Shiro nodded. He looked like an older brother giving his approval. "Don't give that bastard a choice either. You're strong. I can tell. A lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. And when the time comes, I hope you give him a piece of hell."

"And what if I'm not strong enough? The curse-mark would still be held in place, would it not? I've never sparred with someone like him. Who's strong enough to fight him if I can't?"

Shiro glanced over to Sesshomaru waiting by the horse. Tatsuhana followed the path of his stare. Her face turned beet red.

"Him? You're kidding!" She hissed.

Currently, Sesshomaru was the last person she wanted help from, especially since she was up to her ears in debt to him already. Then, there was the secrecy. His cold shoulder. His pompous attitude. The way that he looked at her. Tatsuhana couldn't decide whether she wanted to gouge out his eyeballs or wait until he fell asleep to smother him with a pillow. He had more nerve than most men she met in the lifetime she remembered. She didn't want his help even if he was the last man—or demon—on earth.

"Sesshomaru is the strongest demon I know. Whoever cursed you would either be his equal, which to be honest is rare but unlikely, or inferior. No one has bested him yet."

Tatsuhana bit her lip. She looked at Sesshomaru. His eyes were, thankfully, looking elsewhere in the distance. He didn't seem to notice them gawking and talking about him a few feet away. She saw glimpses of his fight with Akio and he killed the demon who was about to rape her. But that didn't prove much. Only that he handled himself well in a battle. Far better than she could. However, asking him to take care of Akio churned her stomach. Tatsuhana didn't think of herself as a prideful person. She asked for help when she thought she needed it; she wasn't afraid of humbling herself if she didn't have an answer to a question. She was not above learning from those who knew more or knew better. Looking at Sesshomaru, completely indifferent to her suffering, it sparked something new and possibly even dangerous. She could go grovel on her knees and beg him to help, though she doubted her pleas would reach his deaf ears. By his demeanor, Sesshomaru didn't seem like the kind of person who would waste a good favor with a friend over someone he just met. Tatsuhana couldn't grasp his ulterior motives now, but she would figure him out eventually.

Her hand ghosted along her neck. Her own touch didn't irritate the curse-mark, but her skin still felt hot to the touch. She walked past Sesshomaru without so much as a glance. With enough rest, she could draw new strength and climb into the saddle without his help. Just as she was able to put her foot into the stirrup, Tatsuhana felt familiar clawed hands gripping her waist.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Getting on the horse," she growled back, "What are _you_ doing?"

"It will be faster if I carry you."

"I think I can manage just fine without y—"

Her voice was lost in the wind. Sesshomaru flew over the trees. Tatsuhana didn't look—indeed couldn't because her eyes were sealed shut—how he managed to do that. She cradled the gourd of oil close to her chest, unwilling to let it slip through her fingers. Cold hair blasted her cheeks, biting her. Her hair whipped around as he zipped through the air, zigzagging like a snake above the treetops.

Her heart was in her throat. All words died there. She kept her eyes shut. The wind stung her like a thousand bees. It felt like a century passed before Sesshomaru finally slowed to a halt and brought his feet down to earth again. He eased her to her own feet with an unusual amount of gentleness she didn't expect from a demon who grabbed her and took off without asking permission first. She felt the dirt beneath her feet, Tatsuhana's head began to spin. She was sick to her stomach and whatever she might have left inside was about to make a second grand appearance. But first, she had some words to mince with a certain handsy demon.

"You cheeky, unfeeling, callous sonabitch!" Her foster-mother turned in her grave as soon as Tatsuhana let out a flurry of curses at him. Or, rather, at what she thought was Sesshomaru. Her vision was blurry. She could make out a tall form with white hair and strange armor, but that was about it. She turned in her fury in his general direction and hoped it was the right one.

"To what honor due I earn your venom?" He said coolly.

"You don't just…you can't pick up a girl like that…and…and r-run off. Wha-what if you dropped me?" Tatsuhana yelled at the top of her lungs. She hated how she sounded like somebody's drunk girlfriend, but it did feel good.

"I would never be so careless. You should know better than that."

" _You should know better than that_ ," Tatsuhana mimicked with a sneer. "Yeah. Well. You sound like an—"

Her stomach plummeted along with the rest of her. Tatsuhana's legs could no longer support her weight. Her knees buckled under her before she could finish her sentence. Breathing hard, she sucked dust into her lungs. Her arms shook when she tried to heft herself off the ground. Hands grabbed her pulling her arm. More than two, four, six maybe? Tatsuhana couldn't tell anymore. She didn't fight them as darkness took over.


	14. Chapter 14

Tatsuhana writhed in pain, sweat bleeding out of every pore. Her clothes and sheets were changed frequently until there were none to the spare. The bottle of oil Shiro had given her did little to help though it seemed to have more of an adverse effect. The oil did nothing to stop the fever spreading or the disgusting thoughts ravaging her mind. Tatsuhana couldn't speak, breathe, eat, or sleep without picturing Akio in her head. She lived a waking nightmare. All the others could do was watch her agonize in bed.

Kagome saw how advanced the curse-mark grew. It spread over Tatsuhana's fingers and after two days, spread to her toes and slowly began to creep up her chest towards her neck. Red vines choking her.

"There has to be something we can do," said Sango.

They were only one day away from the curse-mark becoming complete. And yet, there was no sign of Akio or a retinue of his underlings coming to take Tatsuhana away. Cruel as it seemed, there was no hope that Akio at least had the decency to finish the mark and put Tatsuhana out of her misery. She clutched the bedsheets with white knuckles; she thrashed about calling him and cursing his name at the same time. Kagome wiped Tatsuhana's hot forehead with cool, damp cloth to avail some comfort.

"She just turned twenty-one," Kagome sighed, mournfully. "This isn't fair."

Inuyasha returned with Totosai, but there wasn't much the elderly demon had to say that wasn't already said. Only a demon who was stronger than Akio or if they somehow tricked him into biting Tatsuhana could lift the curse. Even as Tatsuhana twisted and turned in bed, drinking and eating what she could keep down—a small bowl of rice and some water—she spent most of her time chasing sleep. When she collapsed at Sesshomaru's feet at their return to the village, Tatsuhana pushed her body too far. Between lack of food over a day and fighting off a demon, adding the curse-mark, altogether exhausted her body's resources. They gawked when Sesshomaru carried her over Kaede's threshold with Tatsuhana in his arms like a wilted flower. He didn't stay out of character very long and vanished soon after she was settled into a bed. He didn't even stop to say hello to Rin.

Tatsuhana gasped, trying to call out a name. The fever ravaged her mind and body. The more Kagome heard Akio's name on Tatsuhana's tortured lips, the more she wanted to hunt him down and put an arrow into his chest.

"Shush, shush." Kagome tried to calm her down. She'd rather not let Tatsuhana torture herself anymore than she already had. "It's okay."

"I-I…" Tatsuhana reached with her tattoo-covered hand and grasped at her throat. She started coughing like something was stuck there.

"I'll go get some water." Sango left in a hurry to fetch some.

"I…I want…"

"Hush, you don't need to say it. We're working on a way to save you without letting Akio have you." Kagome brushed a strand of Tatsuhana's hair out of the woman's face.

The furrow of Tatsuhana's brows deepened. She opened her mouth. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she opened her eyes. Her jade-green eyes winced as in pain, the salt of her own tears burning them. The bright golden flecks appeared dim like dying stars.

"I…I want my mom and dad!" Tatsuhana wept.

Kagome wiped Tatsuhana's forehead with the cloth and then covered her eyes with it. It was the best help she could provide outside of hugging Tatsuhana. An embrace might have offered a bit of comfort, but with her physical state it was better not to risk much more. Tatsuhana missed her foster-parents terribly. She sobbed beneath the damp cloth over her eyes until her voice cracked. Sango returned shortly and they managed to help Tatsuhana drink a little.

Kagome left Tatsuhana in Sango's care. She needed the air. The aura swirling emitting from the curse-mark pervaded the air around Tatsuhana's body; it left Kagome with the dire need to go for a long bath. It was cloying, possessive energy. Her heart sank as low as ever knowing there was nothing she could do for the woman writhing helplessly in bed. Kagome lowered herself to sit on the veranda and held her head in hand. Her shoulders trembled as she fought the urge to cry.

A pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around her shoulders. She looked and found Inuyasha sitting beside. She didn't wonder how he managed to sneak up beside her so quietly—everything about Inuyasha was loud and brash and, albeit, obnoxious. Still, she wasn't in the mood to question it or start and argument. She leaned against Inuyasha's chest.

"How is she?" Asked Inuyasha.

Kagome inhaled slowly and answered with a sad sigh. "Not good. She's in pain. She can hardly keep any food or water down. Her fever is too high, her skin is too pale. She…she asked for her foster-parents."

Inuyasha's grip on Kagome's shoulder tightened. "If I see that prick, I'll cut him in two."

"Inuyasha…"

"I'll admit, I'm still unsure about her. She was able to use the well and we don't know how she did it. She smells funny to me, I'm not going to lie. But I would never wish harm to her, especially not this. She's really sick and I can smell it. There's also nothin' we can do for her now except wait for that bastard to show us his ugly head."

"Then what?"

"Like I said, I'll cut him in half."

The night went without rest. Demons and imps tried to get a good look at Tatsuhana for the same reason the other demons attacked each other. They wanted the source of that alluring scent that seemed to attract demons to Tatsuhana's side. Shippo was too young to be drawn into the curse-marks smell. Totosai was too old as was Myoga. Inuyasha wasn't effected because of his human half. Most of the party spent the night rigging traps, creating barriers, or fending off demons. Little sleep was to be had.

Dawn arrived. A new day. The last day. Kagome entered the hut to find Rin and Kaede attending Tatsuhana. Her body was painfully still. She was breathing, but it was shallow. Kagome tried not to gasp when she saw how far the curse-mark had grown in the night. Red vines and flowers reached Tatsuhana's jaw line like a full-body tattoo. Her eyelids were screwed tight; her lips were raw from biting them.

"Miss Kagome," said Rin sheepishly.

Kagome took a spot near Tatsuhana's head, across from Kaede. "Yes, Rin?"

"Is Miss Hana going to be alright?" Rin asked. Her little hands were curled on her knees. She bent her head low, hiding her face.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know." Her stomach plummeted as if weighed down by a boulder. She looked at Tatsuhana's pained face and felt herself a little more sick.

Tatsuhana had a fair complexion, now it was a sickly pale. Most of her body was concealed with clothing and blankets or the twisting, curling, choking vines of the curse-mark. Only her face remained visible and intact, for now. Her dark brows formed a sharp V-shape and almost drew together in a mask of anguish. Her lips, dried and cracked and more than a little red, trembled with every breath Tatsuhana took. She muttered under her breath but Kagome wouldn't let her waste the precious energy she had left to speak. Her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe within the confines of her kimono and the physical exertion it took to fight off the curse. A dark red splotch marred her chin, a bit of blood trailing from where she broke open her lip. Kagome carefully cleaned Tatsuhana's face with a moist cloth.

The latter's eyes peered open from behind hooded lids. Tatsuhana turned to Kagome. Her eyes were blurry and clouded as was her mind.

"M-mom?" She shuddered.

Kagome didn't have the heart to correct her. She patted Tatsuhana's sweaty forehead with the cloth and lulled her back to sleep. It didn't take long for that to happen. As quickly as it came, the energy she had left was sapped out of her and Tatsuhana fell back asleep. Her breathing remained the same and fever continued to rage on.

When they weren't catching up on sleep, they held vigil. Demons stopped coming by the village, but there was one they expected. Morning faded into noon. The villagers cowered in their huts in anticipation of the grand battle set to take place in the middle of their hometown. At any hour Akio would arrive to take his prize, whether or not Tatsuhana's new guardians willed it.

By the time blue skies bled into an orange sunset, hope was lost. Tatsuhana lay in bed, wracked in a fever-induced nightmare and body too weak to move on its own. Akio wasn't coming to at least relieve her pain.

Or so they thought.

Huddled around her, they heard him. The villagers cried out in panic. Women fled with their children into huts while brave men gathered what makeshift weapons they could find. Men stood at the mouth of the village, armed to the teeth with rakes, hoes, and staffs. Akio walked down the pebbled road like a common traveler. Behind was no army of fox spirits, no retinue of any kind, or even a palanquin. Akio carried himself and nothing more. There wasn't even a weapon at his side. The village's men took one look at the fox demon slowly approaching and counted the number of tails spread behind his back like a peacock showing off its feathers. They counted, dropped their weapons, and fled. If Akio was a simple, one-tailed fox, then it was nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately, mortal men had something to be very afraid of when approached by a seven-tailed fox.

Akio walked through the village, paying no heed to the eyes poking out of windows to get a glance at him. His eyes focused on Kaede's hut. He smiled at the three who appeared outside. Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. Miroku had a paper seal prepared and ready. Kagome already had an arrow knocked and aimed for Akio's heart.

"Bold of you to show up without so much as a weapon, bastard!" Inuyasha stepped forward.

Akio cocked his head to the side and smirked. "Bold of you to assume I even need one. If you and your pathetic lot would move aside, I'd like to fetch my bride."

"Fat chance!" Inuyasha raised his sword.

"You're not going to get her so easily." The string of Kagome's bow tightened. All it would take was to let her fingers release and the arrow would sail.

Akio raised his brow. "You're risking her life just to spite me? Do you not know what happens when the curse-mark is not completed? She'll turn into lust-addled madwoman, that is if she doesn't die first."

"You're bluffing." Inuyasha barked.

"I wouldn't bet that an uncultured half-breed would know anything about curse-marks or how to reverse them. Do not step between me and what I want. I've been working on this for quite some time and I won't tolerate fools who stand in my way. I'll have her even if I have to kill everyone in this village to do it." Akio extended his hand out, palm towards the sky.

 _FWOOSH_

A glowing ball of blue flames appeared above his hand. Its tongue licked the air as he held it suspended.

Inuyasha's sword lowered by an inch. He looked at the huts surrounding them. Faces peaked out from windows and cracked doorways. Not so long ago, he would have let this village burn to the ground or wouldn't care if it did. Not long ago, he would have threatened the same. It seemed like ancient history, but he was not the same half-demon he used to be. Despite Kagome's protests, he sheathed his sword.

"Inuyasha, what are you—"

"We might have him outnumbered, but he's still more of a threat than we can handle. Not without putting the village at risk."

"But what about Tatsuhana?" Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Inuyasha dislike Tatsuhana that much that he would allow her to be carried off by this creature?

As if sensing her thoughts, Inuyasha clamped his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "We let him remove the curse-mark for us and take her back once she's safe."

Kagome slowly lowered her bow and replaced the arrow back into its quiver. Inuyasha gave Miroku a nod and the monk returned the gesture. All three took their time stepping out of Akio's way into the hut.

The wind stirred up around their feet. Despite kicking up a little dust, the sudden gust somehow went unnoticed. Inuyasha's nose twitched. He could smell something hanging in the air, like a storm cloud about to burst open. He couldn't tell for certain but the source was coming nearby. Against the dark blue skies, black treetops swayed as the wind continued to pick up speed. Akio was too focused on his goal to notice.

* * *

With sweat beating down her brow, Tatsuhana slowly raised herself up to sit. Kaede tried to push her back down, but the old woman was strong enough. Tatsuhana brushed her aside, sat up, and pulled back the sweat-soaked blankets. Voices outside, Inuyasha and Akio arguing, and then silence. Winds began to howl, growling lowly like dogs at first. Kaede felt it in her bones.

"Miss Hana!" Rin grabbed unto one of Tatsuhana's legs as she stood shaking on her feet.

Tatsuhana pried Rin's small hands away before lurching towards the sliding door. Rin cried and tried to cling to Tatsuhana's legs to keep her within the safety of the hut. In spite of her state, Tatsuhana managed to push her away again. Half-kneeling, she bent towards Rin and clutched her shoulders.

"Stay…inside," she growled.

Tatsuhana reached the door, pulled it open with a slam, and fixed her eyes on the fox demon who had already started his imperious march towards the threshold. He smiled at her. She felt his eyes graze over her skin from head to toe. With that knowing smirk on his face, she knew that he sensed her suffering. He was, of course, the source of anguish. When she dreamed of his face, Tatsuhana wanted to kiss him then slit his throat. The rage boiled over as she leaned against the doorway for support. Her legs threatened to buckled underneath her weight, however she wasn't about to give this creep the pleasure of seeing her weak at the knees.

 _No_.

He wasn't going to see her like that. She refused to let that happen. He had stolen enough of her time, and he wasn't going to take any more.

* * *

Tatsuhana stepped across the threshold and slammed the door home.

"There, there, that wasn't so hard, was it? Come to me, and I will make you feel so…much… _better_." Akio held out his arms to her.

For a moment, Tatsuhana stood there. Stone-still, she made no move to approach him any further. She hung her head as if in acceptance of this cruel fate. The black curtain of her hair covered her face.

"Tatsuhana, you don't have to do this!" Kagome pleaded one last time in hopes the latter might fight back.

The night sky turned black and sucked away all the stars into a misty void. Thunder rumbled overhead. Those outside looked up. It had been clear up until Tatsuhana appeared in the doorway. Thunder rolled. Sparks of lightning spread from one end of the other to the other. Winds howled with more violence. Roofs and timbers began to shudder in its wake. Clothing flapped around in the maelstrom. Except for Tatsuhana. Everything on her person remained frightfully still. She stood on the veranda stiff as a crag in the ocean.

Pelting the ground and all that stood on it, rain and hail came down. Tatsuhana lifted her head. Her eyes shown like green flames in the chaos now spinning around her. Winds carried leaves, twigs, and hay and sent them flying past. Akio had the sense to give her space and backed away. But Tatsuhana followed. They stood ten feet from Kaede's hut. Staring down at one another. Tatsuhana's gait shifted. When she first appeared, she had to cling to the hut's doorway to keep herself up. Now, her shoulders were back, her spine ramrod straight, and her body hard.

She kept her eyes on Akio and only on Akio. His brows knitted close together. He opened his mouth and it stayed open as Tatsuhana flexed her fingers. Akio never left her gaze. Not even when sparks flew out of her fingers.

Casting a bluish light, lighting flickered in her right hand between her fingers. In the instant before she attacked, Akio saw her eyes shift from green flecked with gold to turquoise with golden slits for pupils. A moment and he saw them.

The eyes of a dragon glaring at him while she held in her hand the power of the storms.


	15. Chapter 15

_Tatsuhana…Tatsuhana…_

It must have been the fever dream. Tatsuhana lost track of the days, the weeks she had been stuck in this sore state. Now she was hearing voices.

 _Tatsuhana…Tatsuhana…Tatsu—_

That voice though…She considered for a moment where she heard it somewhere. It sounded so familiar to her. Like the voice of her foster-mother or maybe a teacher she had in middle school. But the voice was so distant she couldn't hear it well enough to distinguish who it was. Her brains were made of little more than cotton thanks to Akio's curse-mark. Most of the time, she slipped in and out of consciousness. It took too much effort to think.

 _Tatsuhana_

Who was calling her so insistently? She let her mind wander through the dense fog of what was left of her. A figure appeared in the mist not far from where Tatsuhana stood. She ceased to be able to tell the difference between dreaming and being awake and started walking towards it. She half-expected to lose the figure in the fog only to find that the closer she came, the more clear the silohette became. A solid form appeared before her eyes despite the swirling mist trying to obscure its shape.

Flowing robes did not hide a feminine body. Dark hair reached behind the figure's knees. Arms stretched out towards Tatsuhana as she heard the voice beackoning her again.

 _Tatsuhana…My dragon-flower…Listen to me_

"W-who are you?"

 _You know who I am. You know me. I have been with you since your birth. Please…listen to the voice of your—_

Tatsuhana's body flushed with searing heat. Another figure appeared in the clouds, fast approaching. Another voice spoke in her mind. A man, the same man who placed her under this curse in the first place.

 _There you are, precious._

Her knees buckled underneath her weight. Tatsuhana collapsed at the feet of the woman's figure still obscured by the shadows.

 _Tatsuhana, get up! Fight!_ The woman urged.

A pair of strong feminine hands grabbed Tatsuhana's arms. A third figure arose from the shadows. Tatsuhana peered through the fog. Amor was silhouetted in the mist. A second male figure stood next to the woman's.

 _Tatsuhana…get up,_ said the second male voice.

The voice from the figure approaching called out to her with her name on a sickly-sweet tongue. _Tatsuhana…._

The female voice called out too. _Tatsuhana!_

All three voices battled for her attention. The throbbing in her head was too much. Tatsuhana forced her eyes to snap open just to get away from the chorus shouting at her.

Her body then began to move as if of its own accord.

"The dragon shows her true scales. I was wondering when your blood would show, though I must admit, I was rather hoping to see your mother's fiery side." Akio stared at her almost in awe.

 _Why is he still talking?_

Tatsuhana saw his mouth move but could barely understand. His kimono and hair was buffeted by the wind, yet she was untouched. Protected by an invisible barrier. She could feel mud sucking her foot into the wet earth all the way up to her ankles. She didn't question how she got out of bed and into the middle of the village. All she wanted was for Akio to shut up.

Her mind started to play tricks on her, focusing out of the moment. Memories crept in place when she should have had full attention on Akio. As a school girl, grabbing heavy vases with incredible speed and agility. As a teenager catching a girl about to fall down the stairs. Gaining her balance during gym class without a struggle. Stopping a speeding car with her bare hands. All this time…her body was reacting to dangers without her even knowing it. It moved without her knowing what to do.

From the corner of her eye she saw sparkling bluish-white light. Tatsuhana turned her head ever so slightly to get a better look. The bluish-white light wasn't coming from anywhere except from _her_ hand. Sparks flew from her fingertips.

Tatsuhana lifted her hand up to eye level. She was mesmorized by the sparks jumping, leaping, flying from her hand. Holding her hand so close to her face, Akio's features were invisible behind the light. Her jaw dropped to the floor. Her stomach fell. It was as if a giant boulder and had been tied to her waist and she and the giant rock was pushed over the side of a cliff.

"W-what?"

As quickly as they appeared, the lighting exploding from her fingertips disappeared. Vanished. Tatsuhana had to blink several times in its abscense just to see again. Rain stopped. The winds died. She realized that she was no standing bare-footed in the mud, unarmed and confused.

Whatever power Tatsuhana held, she had no link to keep it tied to her. Everything stopped. Hail continued to fall around them. Slowly at first, then even that died away. Craters the size of pinecones pocked the ground. Staring at her hands, Tatsuhana stood there dumb as a log.

Akio smirked. "How tragic."

Before anyone moved, Akio once more summoned a bluish fire of his own. The flames jumped from the center of his hands. Their tongues hungrily flicked the chilled air. He threw his arms out to his side. The flames jutted out from his palms and created a giant circle around them. Tatsuhana broke out of her catatonia long enough to realize that she was trapped.

"Do you have any more fancy tricks up your sleeve or was that show all you have, dragon-flower?"

"Don't call me that!" Tatsuhana snarled. That nickname falling off his tongue made her sick to the stomach.

The curse-mark in her neck pulsed. Tatsuhana howled as heat and pain scourged her flesh. The vines grew to her jaw. She could feel the tendrils edging closer, tickling her. Another wave of heat forced her down on one knee while she grasped her throat with her hand. She looked at Akio and sneered at his smug face.

"Is this all to be offered? I thought you would be much more of a challenge, but if that little springtime drizzle was all that you have in you, I'm highly disappointed."

"Get used to disappointment!" Tatsuhana got to her feet.

And charged.

She fought the pain and the heat and the earth trying its best to suck her feet into the mud. She might have been trapped, but so was Akio. If he wanted a fight, Tatsuhana was angry enough to give it to him. Tatsuhana ran for him, reached him, and thrust him into the mud. It splattered around them on impact. She grabbed him by the hem of his kimono and rammed her fist into his pretty face. She'd known from the moment she first laid eyes on Akio that somebody should break his too perfect face; she didn't think that she would be the one to do it.

The first punch caught his nose, the vulnerable appendage easy to break. Tatsuhana struck his open cheek next and made sure to bruise his incredible cheekbones. She straddled his stomach until he was finished being her punching bag. She was malnourished, confused, and weak; it was easy to shove her off and throw her across the ring. Blood dribbled down his nose to his chin. A large purple and red bruise appeared on his cheek, large and painful.

Akio wiped some of the blood off with his thumb. He stared at the red smear for a moment, eyes a little wide. He smiled before turning his sight back to Tatsuhana.

She stood on her feet again as Akio made his slow approach. Her knees threatened to give out again, but it was her too stubborn will that wouldn't allow that. Tatsuhana locks her knees, straightned her back, and put her fists up in front of her like she was in a boxing match. She didn't care at that point her kimono was nearly see-through because of her sweat or that it split open to her mid-thighs. Modesty was of no use to her.

"I'm going to enjoy making you beg," said Akio.

From there on, it was blood and blows.

Villagers crept out of their huts to see what was going on. Those spooked by the ring of fox fire ran back inside for safety. Those that chose to stay watched Tatsuhana fight like a savage in between the flames. Akio and Tatsuhana danced in circles around each other, exchanging blow for blow. They didn't know whether to shield their eyes or cheer. Tatsuhana was left with bruises and her face badly bleeding. Bleeding and bruised but nothing more. Akio wanted her alive; he couldn't marry a corpse. But it left him with the option of beating her into submission.

He avoided her ribs. He didn't want to break them. Akio punched her in the upper and lower belly where her ribs couldn't protect her. A woman was sensitive there too, somewhat like how a male and his manhood. Tatsuhana doubled back, clutching her lower abdomen. Her next period was going to be a real b…

While she was doubled over, Akio jabbed her throat with his fist, knocking the wind out of her. This time, Tatsuhana fell. Blood poured from her mouth and nose. Heat coursed through her body. She felt the creeping vines of the curse-mark work their way up and over her chin. Her cheeks were burning.

Black dots hovered in front of her vision. Her arms shook as she fought to get back up again. Kagome and her friends were screaming somewhere in the background, but Tatsuhana could not tell from where. The bells in her ears rang too loud.

"Tatsuhana, give up. Let's stop making it so difficult." Akio hissed into her ear. His voice was like deafening thunder directly into her eardrums. "There isn't much time left and I am not a patient man."

Her vision blacked out though Tatsuhana remained standing. Her eyes blurred for but a moment. She heard the voices again from her fever dream. Calling her by name, they shouted. Louder and more urgent. The man and the woman in unison cried out: _Fight!_

She felt a hand in her hair. Blood and sweat made her long hair sticky and easy to knot. Lithe fingers found the base of her scalp above the neck. They twisted around her locks and pulled, exposing her neck. Tatsuhana's eyes fluttered open to find Akio's face next to hers. He was panting just as heavily as she was and his face was equally smeared with blood. Most of which was his own. Tatsuhana let herself smile a little. She may have lost, but at least she could say that she fought him the whole way through it.

Akio bared two sharp teeth like K-9's. Leaning down, his breath ghosted over her flesh as he pressed his lips ever closer to the center of the curse-mark.

"You're mine."

Tatsuhana put up no resistance. There was no strength within her anymore. Tears swelled in her eyes.

 _Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry…_

Akio's teeth were close enough to bite.

 _PLUNK_

Both turned their eyes to the source. A foot from Tatsuhana's reach was a sword. Unsheathed, fox fire danced wildly against the blade's face.

Unarmed, Tatsuhana didn't have much chance.

Armed with a sword, she could do damage. Maybe even kill.

Akio barely had time to unravel his fingers from her hair before they both started reaching for it. Akio had no plans to use it against her, but Tatsuhana was contrarywise. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt. Firm in both hands, she drove the blunt end of the pummel into his gut. She knocked him to the ground with a second blow to his temple.

Stunned, Akio lay there for a second, rubbing his head. As soon as he saw the blade's very sharp tip pointed at his throat. Tatsuhana pressed the tip a little more and a little more into his neck. Red blossomed around where she planted the tip.

Akio quickly regained himself. He looked at the sword and then up at Tatsuhana. All of that cocksure bravado of his changed to desperation.

"You don't have the guts." He sneered.

Tatsuhana lowered the blade to his chest. And thrust.

It was her first time killing something bigger than a roach. It was also her first time impaling a man on a sword. She watched with an odd, morbid fascination at the tip plunged into Akio's chest, breaking open the breast bone with a snap, and stabbing his heart. The blade struck true with a wet, heavy squelch. Her stomach churned at the sound and her face turned green. She was sure of it. But she could throw up later.

More blood leaked out of Akio's mouth as she plunged the sword as far as it would go. She shoved all of her weight against the hilt without putting her hands against the sword itself. Tatsuhana pressed all of her body weight on top of the sword until it plunged through the other side.

Akio let out of an awful, choking gasp. He gurgled and spat blood. He tried sitting up, but the sword in his chest pinned him in the mud. His eyes flicked up at Tatsuhana. Furious as he was, he had to give credit where it was due. He almost admired the look on her face as she killed him. Her brows screwed tight in concentration. Her unwavering eyes watching his final moments. Those pink lips from which he stole her first kiss curled into a hideous snarl and revealed two sharp teeth like a dog. No. Like a dragon. A warrior like none other.

He was driven in his dying stupor to whisper, "Beautiful."

Akio did not go peaceably. Shortly after whispering, he coughed up blood and choked. He sputtered and clenched his hands around the sword buried in his chest, slicing his fingers. The ring of fox fire too sputtered and flickered. They shot up once in his death throes before sputtering out of existence. Tatsuhana left the sword in his chest and sauntered away. Her legs gave out, but this time she didn't bother trying to get up again. The black dots returned with vengeance. Her vision was completely obscured by them until she could see nothing at all. Vaguely, she thought she heard people calling her name, but she could not respond. Tatsuhana slumped in the mud, body and mind too weak to get up any more. Possibly ever again.

* * *

Kagome found him sitting beneath a tree. In the middle of the night, she found him, staring up at the moon. Not Inuyasha, he was busy patrolling the heavily wooded area around the village in search of curious demons. The village still had a tinge of supernatural energy seeping from its wounds. The brief hail storm caused minimal damage, but something invisible remained. Although it was a long process, Kaede did her best to repel the energy. Miroku helped burn the body of Akio and bury the ashes with a seal on it to prevent the fox demon's ghost from reeking havoc. It had been three days since that night passed. Three days and three nights and Tatsuhana remained asleep. Immediately after his destruction, Akio's curse-mark vanished from Tatsuhana's body. All traces of the magic was gone. Kagome checked periodically just to be sure that the evil spell had been dissipated.

"What do you want, woman?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother to be polite as he asked. Of course not. He was Sesshomaru. The Lord of the West didn't stoop down to make nice with mortal women.

"I was about to ask the same thing. What are you doing here?"

"That is no concern of yours."

"Sure, sure." Kagome almost took another step closer, but remembered who Sesshomaru was.

Just because Rin made him more tame, he would still slit the throat of anyone who said that. Kagome remembered herself and stopped. She wanted answers, but she wanted to keep her head attached to her shoulders even more.

"You cared enough about her to throw the sword. Is that why you're still here?"

"I didn't want Rin to see what was to happen if I hadn't intervened."

Sesshomaru was uncharacteristically talkative. Even around Rin, he was stoic and silent. He nodded or showed his teeth. He rarely said a word. Kagome spotted him on the outskirts of the village, frightening the villagers. During the day, Rin followed him around everywhere, chattering like a bird. He had no reason to stay around the village, especially while Rin was safely tucked in bed. The village's safety did not concern him; he said as much. But none of that stopped Kagome from wondering what the _great_ Lord Sesshomaru was doing in the middle of the night, spitting distance from the village.

"Rin was in the cottage. Kaede would have kept her away," answered Kagome.

Sesshomaru did not deign to respond this time.

* * *

Rin plucked as many wildflowers she could carry. In the open field, she would be easy prey for any wandering, hungry wolf or demon who happened upon her. Unfortunately for any would-be predator, Sesshomaru walked a distance behind her. His very image was enough to scare more than just birds. Rin insisted on picking flowers in the field, but no one else would go with her. It was now the third day since Akio attempted to take Tatsuhana against her will and she had been asleep in all that time. She did not stir or turn but remained quite like a corpse. Kaede settled her in a bed separate from hers and Rin's.

With armful of flowers, Rin spun around and sprinted towards Sesshomaru. Lifting the flowers in her arms, she smiled at her accomplishment.

"Look, Lord Sesshomaru! I've found all these flowers for Miss Hana. Do you think she'll like them when she wakes up?"

Sesshomaru's mouth was screwed shut. He nodded. Rin skipped at his side on the walk back to the village. They took the long way around to avoid spooking the villagers who were still not used to Sesshomaru's presence. Before they reached Kaede's hut and while it remained at a distance, Sesshomaru ducked towards the trees and motioned for Rin to follow. Rin stood for a moment wondering what Sesshomaru wanted in the trees but followed anyway.

Once away from prying eyes, Sesshomaru knelt on one knee in front of her so that he was nearly eye level with her.

Looking her in the eyes, Sesshomaru said, "I have an important task for you, Rin. When Tatsuhana wakes up, I want you to watch her and whatever you see her do, report it back to me."

Rin tilted her head and scratched the side.

"You want me to spy on me Miss Hana?"

It was the strangest order she had heard from Sesshomaru. He rarely spoke unless to give an order. She wondered what connection between Tatsuhana and Sesshomaru had to make him ask Rin to 'watch her.'

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Rin tried not to be amazed. Sesshomaru was a man—er, demon of few words. This was the most he said to her in the longest time. But if it was what Lord Sesshomaru wanted…

She bobbed her head in a bow. Raising it, "Of course, milord!"


	16. Chapter 16

Tatsuhana turned on her side. The pounding in her head woke her up. She groaned and feet padded towards her bed. Someone wiped her brow with a cool, damp cloth. Tatsuhana pried her eyelids open. Her vision was blurry at first, but it gradually cleared.

"Hey there, sleepy head. How are you feeling?" Asked Kagome.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." She tried to sit up, but the marrow-deep ache in her bones kept her from moving any beneath her eyebrows. "What happened?"

She saw a strange look pass over Kagome's face. Her brows briefly furrowed then relaxed. Kagome continued to pat her forehead with the cloth. She smiled sweetly, and that was the first thing that alerted Tatsuhana. Something was not right; she could tell by the way Kagome smiled.

"Akio is dead. The curse-mark disappeared."

"Okay…but how? All I remember is that one minute I'm writhing in bed with a fever dream, and the next…I'm here. What happened?"

Kagome opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the hut's sliding door slammed open. Rin came abounding inside as if knowing Tatsuhana had woken up. She ran to Tatsuhana's bed, jumped, and hugged her tight.

"Rin," Kagome chided.

Tatsuhana had just enough strength to ruffle the child's head and pat down Rin's hair. It was somehow comforting to know that Rin cared so much. It would make the inevitable parting that much more painful.

"How did I end up here? What happened to Akio?" Tatsuhana asked.

Rin sat on the edge of the bed. She opened her mouth as if to answer, but Kagome beat her to it.

"I'll explain when you're better. It would be too much stress. You're body is still recovering."

Tatsuhana pressed her hand against the side of her neck where the curse-mark used to be. There was no scorching heat or painful ripples erupting through her body. She looked at her hands as if for the first time. Not a trace of Akio's mark had been left. Though her skin looked more pale and wane than before, she wasn't going to let herself be startled. She was alive and free of a curse. Everything else would fall into place later.

"Rin, why don't you go over and fetch some fresh water. I'm sure Tatsuhana would like something to drink," said Kagome.

"Are you—"

"Rin, please."

Tatsuhana tried not to be startled by Kagome's tone. She seemed like such a sweet and kind woman. Now, she was practically snapping at Rin. It seemed so out of character. Not that Tatsuhana really had any room to talk. She'd barely a handful of times with Kagome. Of course, now she might not have much choice considering she wouldn't feel like getting out of bed for the next week. Maybe even the next month.

Rin skittered off the floor and ran across the hut. She pushed the door open, only to pause at Kaede's figure in the doorway.

"Ah, young Rin. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Fetching water. Miss Hana's awake!" Rin scurried past Kaede to complete the task.

Kaede softly closed the door behind her. She carried a basket of green herbs freshly harvested. She laid it aside and sat the bedside next to Kagome.

"Are art thou feeling, Miss Hana?" She asked.

Tatsuhana groaned as she tried to roll over onto her side. Her back was so stiff she couldn't stand it anymore. However, as soon as she tried rolling over, her body refused. Every muscle and bone in her body simultaneously roared in agony. She gnashed her teeth on her lip to stop herself from screaming at the pain. Kaede and Kagome worked together to force her back over onto her back. Tatsuhana was so weak she didn't put up a fight. She laid there and dealt with it.

"These are some herbs I found that will aid thy recovery, Miss Hana, but please do not attempt to hasten. Your body needs time to heal. Ye expended a great deal of energy fighting that fox demon."

"Just lie down and rest," said Kagome.

Kaede took her herbs over to a prep table and began cutting, chopping, mincing, and grinding the herbs in a mortar. Tatsuhana remembered the last time she was bed-ridden.

* * *

" _Hana, Hana? Why aren't you—"_

 _Her foster-mother opened the door to find a ten-year-old Tatsuhana kneeling her head into her waste bin, vomiting out all the contents of her stomach._

" _Hana!" She ran to Tatsuhana and held her long hair._

 _She patted Tatsuhana's back and shoulders until she stopped throwing up. She checked Tatsuhana's forehead and winced. Tatsuhana was put back into bed. A while later, her foster-mother returned to a bitter-smelling tea. The hot cup was put to her mouth but she refused to drink. The smell, the awful, bitter smell singed her nose. She couldn't possibly swallow that!_

" _Tatsuhana, please drink. It'll settle your stomach."_

 _It took a little more convincing to make young, taste-sensitive Tatsuhana swallow. She spent the rest of the day and a half in bed, ill with nausea. Her foster-mother returned as often as her duties from work allowed._

* * *

Thinking about it now, Tatsuhana felt a twinge of guilt remembering the old inn that her parents ran for so many years with such diligence and care, only for her to sell it a week after their deaths. Would they still be proud of her? They were always supportive no matter what path she chose, but how would they feel about her selling their home and inn? And how would they feel about her situation now? Far from home and in a land so unfamiliar that she had nearly died at least once. A tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away before Kagome saw it.

A week passed like this. Tatsuhana grew more frustrated by the day staring up at the ceiling of Kaede's hut. Truth be told, it was torture. She couldn't tell which was worse, the fact that every fiber of her being was bound by pain or to be slowly driven mad by inactivity. Her brain was turning into pudding and her fingers itched for some paper and drawing tools. Two people had to help her sit up and eat lest she choke.

By the eighth night, Tatsuhana had condemned herself to a lifetime as a parapalegic. Until…

"Master Jaken!" Rin hugged him as he entered, unannounced.

Caught off guard, Jaken squeeked as she hugged him. He had two thick leather cords strapped across his chest and carried a lacquered box on his back. It couldn't have weighed very much, but for an imp half of Rin's height, it was painful to see him struggle with it. Rin tried to help, but Jaken rebuked her efforts. He was the only one to carry it and he was determined to do so, even if it was just a matter of pride.

"What are you doin' here, toad?" Inuyasha rudely said.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided.

"My business is none of yours, half-breed! I am here on behalf of Lord Sesshomaru."

"Feh! What does he want?"

"What's this on your back, Master Jaken?"

Tatsuhana's head was starting to pound with all the voices seemingly talking over each other. She shut her eyes tight and tried to sleep.

"I have something for L—Miss Hana."

Tatsuhana heard Jaken's tiny feet pad over towards her. He grunted as he removed the heavy-looking box carefully to the floor. She sat up a little, curious about what kind of trinket Sesshomaru would send after all the great deal of trouble he went in avoiding her. Jaken lifted the lid and the smell caused Tatsuhana to gag. Jaken pulled out a tea pot which belted steam from its spout. Jaken's tiny hands were barely able to lift it out of the box and set it down before his arms snapped out of their sockets.

"W-what is that?" Tatsuhana covered her nose with her kimono sleeve.

The steam spewing out of the tea pot was so bitter it could peel paint. There herbal smell was too strong with pungent layers of dirt and lye steeped in.

"Lord Sesshomaru went through all the trouble of finding this tea to restore your health and you're going to act like a child? Hmph," Jaken stuck his pointy nose in the air. "How ungrateful."

"It smells like Inuyasha's feet. I'm not drinking whatever _that_ is." Tatsuhana lurched as far away as her body would allow.

The room was full of stifled snickers in spite of Inuyasha's growls. Kagome left the dining table to pad over to Tatsuhana. She knelt behind her and slowly pulled up to a seated position.

"What are you doing?" Tatsuhana asked. She squirmed, or tried to at least, out of Kagome's grasp. She was in no mood to be force fed anything, but her body was still took weak to much of anything.

"If Sesshomaru thinks it'll help, maybe you should try some? He went out of his way to do something and I think you should try it. If only to be polite."

Tatsuhana groaned. Kagome sounded like her foster-mother a little too much. Raised in a traditional inn, she was taught strict manners and how to treat the feelings of those higher than her. Sesshomaru, despite his withering glances and cold shoulders, apparently went ahead and did something out of his character.

"It smells foul!" Tatsuhana continued to complain even as Jaken prepared a teacup for her.

"It's honestly not that bad," replied Kagome.

"Easy for you and your human nose to say. I can smell it all the way over here!" Inuyasha complained on the other side of the house.

Kagome took the cup from Jaken and held it towards Tatushana. She turned her head, face scrunched in disgust.

"Please? Won't you at least try?"

Tatsuhana groaned again. She relented if only to stop being harassed.

"Ugh. Fine." She took the cup, held it up to her nose, and sniffed tentatively.

Tatsuhana quickly turned head and dry-heaved. Plugging her nose between her thumb and forefinger, she put the teacup to her lips.

"Over the lips and past the gums, look out stomach, this is going to suck." She threw the tea back like a shot of tequila.

Instead of a pleasant burn, the tea made her gag more on its way down. For a few minutes, Tatsuhana was sitting ram-rod straight in bed with her hands crossed over her throat like she was choking. Color slowly returned to her face for those presently watching. Her eyes brightened and her cheeks turned bright red.

"Wha—ugh, ugh—did you just… _kah…_ give me?"

Kaede came to the bedside. She felt Tatsuhana's forehead and checked other vitals. Her eye widened.

"Unbelievable. The fever is gone. The color has returned to thy face, Miss Tatsuhana," said an astounded Kaede.

"Of course she would recover, old woman. Who would doubt Lord Sesshomaru's wisdom? Milord sent me to give this to Miss Tatsuhana on account of the fox demon's wretched curse-mark. You should prostrate yourself properly the next time you see him. It would be the _least_ you could do to show your gratitude, woman!" Jaken began packing away the tea pot by placing it back inside the lacquered box.

Tatsuhana let out a wheezing cough. She beat her fist against her chest as if that would help her. She glared at Jaken. "What have I told you about calling me _woman_? I may have been bedridden for the past week, but that doesn't me I lack the strength to kick you across the room."

With that, Jaken started packing faster. He quickly refastened the cords around and over his torso. Once the box had been secured to his back, Jaken scurried across the hut. His little feet padded across the wooden floor and carried him far faster than one could imagine, even with carrying the box again. Rin offered him a rice cake but only managed to pop it into his mouth as he whisked himself away, as if afraid of what Tatsuhana might do or say next. He ran with the rice cake in his mouth and ate it on the way to his hasty exit.

"What an odd imp," remarked Kaede.

"How do you feel?" Asked Kagome.

She helped Tatsuhana sit up properly and rubbed her back until the coughing fit passed. Wiping excess saliva from around her mouth, Tatsuhana cleared her throat.

"Better," she grumbled, "Not very happy but better."

"Do you think you can eat?" Kagome offered her arm to Tatsuhana.

Tatsuhana took a big whiff like a hound on the scent of an escaped criminal. Her stomach rumbled.

"I could stand to eat."

"Let me help you to the table then."

Kagome and Kaede both helped Tatsuhana over to the dinner table. Despite having the color return to her face and her fever disappearing, Tatsuhana hobbled as she walked. Her body was still very sore. It was apparent in how slowly she ate like someone tied a millstone to each of her limbs. That still wasn't enough to keep her from her usual mannerisms. It was hard not to notice Tatsuhana's impeccable table manners, especially compared to Inuyasha swallowing whole everything that was put in front of him or Rin's… _unique_ …chopstick technique.

Kagome helped Tatsuhana back into bed as her strength hadn't yet fully returned. Everyone else finished nightly chores. Inuyasha and Kagome walked back to their home. In the dark, Tatsuhana stared up at the ceiling.

Despite recovering a little, her body felt weighed down. She had limited mobility and the aching soreness seeped deep into her bones. Try as she might, she could not keep her eyes closed for very long. Although her body longed for it, the need rising from even her marrow, Tatsuhana could not easily will herself to sleep. Now that she was fully conscious again, more or less, her mind was racing with questions. Questions she did not know how or who to ask. There were bits of memory floating around, but she had no idea how the pieces all fit together.

Was it yet another puzzle she would never solve?

Tatsuhana had a strange feeling bubbling in her gut. Something new and strange was taking place in her body. She lay there, staring at the darkness hanging above her, hoping against hope that she would never find out what happened that night Akio arrived in the village.

"Mom, Dad, I don't know if I'm in the wrong time line and you can't hear me, but if you could send me some kind of sign of what I'm supposed to do here. Why am I stuck in the past to begin with? I'm confused and scarred and I don't know what to do anymore. Please, just send me something."

Tatsuhana finished her prayer. The night grew colder. She turned on her side. The exhaustion of her body caught up with her mind. Slowly, the questions and inner monologue went silent. Sleep came over her.

* * *

Rin waited for Kaede and Tatsuhana to fall asleep. Kaede went to sleep faster than Tatsuhana. She could barely hear Tatsuhana's soft prayer above Kaede's snoring. The former must have been awake for a long while. Softly, Rin arose from the bed. She tip-toed across the hut and slipped on her sandals by the door. The door slid open without much noise and it was closed behind her. Finding a lamp, Rin lit it to guide her way to the short path into the woods.

The rest of the village lay asleep. She padded her way up the dirt path as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake anyone up. She was weary of Inuyasha's hearing; it wasn't that inferior to Sesshomaru's. He would be able to hear her walking to the woods in the middle of the night if he paid enough attention.

Rin kept her ears and eyes out for anything out of the ordinary. She had the utmost confidence that her lord would come and save her if she ran into a demon or a hungry ghost, but that was no reason to be cautious. By the light of the lamp's orange glow, she found the path Sesshomaru told her to take when she had the opportunity to visit. She followed the path which cut through the dim woods. She was careful to avoid stepping on falling branches and twigs. Eventually, she came to a clearing and found Sesshomaru sitting at the base of a large tree. His eyes were closed as if sleeping. She padded carefully through the bushes and came close to Sesshomaru.

"Milord?"

Sesshomaru's eyes cracked open. He inhaled and exhaled sharply as if stirred from meditation.

"What news do you bring, Rin?"

"She drank the tea Master Jaken gave her."

"And is she…well?"

Rin nodded vigorously. "It worked wonders, milord! Her color changed and she was able to eat at the table again. I'm sure she's going to be super grateful when she sees you next time!"

"How did she react to taking it?"

"Oh?" Rin had to think for a minute. "Um, well, she didn't like the smell. I can't vouch for it, but according to her and Master Inuyasha, the smell was pretty bad. She gagged and coughed a lot after drinking it."

"I see," said Sesshomaru. "And does she remember of anything that happened that night?"

Rin shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Miss Kagome doesn't think it's a good idea to tell her either. She thinks Miss Hana will try to run away again."

"Does she remember anything at all? Where she lived before? Who her parents were? Where did she come from?" Sesshomaru asked and more.

Rin stood aback at Sesshomaru's talkativeness. He wasn't like this; she was unsure if she liked this new characteristic. He was pressing questions Rin could not answer. Tatsuhana had spent very little time in the village. She was either sick or being a recluse. By all appearances, Tatsuhana did not have the desire to stay in the village and frequented the well. She always had a pained look on her face when she spoke of her foster-parents.

"She doesn't seem to like talking about her foster-parents. Miss Hana looks really sad when she does," Rin answered.

A faint glimmer of emotion passed over Sesshomaru's features. Blink and you missed it.

"Foster-parents? She was not raised by servants or vassals somewhere on the mainland?"

Rin shook her head. "She says that she was dropped off at a house in a rainstorm and this elderly couple took her in as their own. She doesn't remember her real parents at all."

"Where was this?"

"Here in Nihon. Somewhere. Same place as Miss Kagome, I think."

"She has never been abroad?"

Rin shook her head. "No. Not that I recall. Miss Hana did say once that she can speak Chinese without knowing where she learned it."

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed. How could she not know where she picked up an entire language?

"Did you know she likes to draw pictures of you, milord?"

He forced himself not to show the slightest bit of emotion. Sesshomaru remained perfectly still and steeled his features. Rin was an observant little thing. For a child, she could be very astute. She never gave him a reason to doubt her honesty. However, that didn't make him any less weary.

"Pictures?"

"Yup. She has this weird looking scroll she calls her sketchbook. I've glanced through while she wasn't looking."

Sesshomaru had too many questions in his head to wonder at the implications. According to Rin, Tatsuhana remembered almost nothing of her past. And to top it off, she had known him presently for such a short while. What was going on inside her head? It made him wonder if Tatsuhana was playing games with him or if she really couldn't remember. There was something he needed to see in order to confirm it.

"Rin, I have something else I must have of you."

"Anything, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin answered. She was so excited by her new mission from her lord that she nearly dropped her lamp.

"Bring Tatsuhana's _sketchbook_ to me," said Sesshomaru.


	17. Chapter 17

_SNAP_

That fateful sound reverberated in Tatsuhana's ears.

She sat on the veranda, minding her own business, and doodling in her sketch book out of boredom. Tatsuhana busied herself with practical exercise in art. Since Kagome and Kaede had both forbidden her to do chores until they were certain she recovered, Tatsuhana spent the last day filling out the dwindling pages in her sketchbook. She stared at the broken graphite pencil in her hand. Grabbing her sharpener, she hastily tried to fix the situation, but the pencil was too short. She wittled down the end and then realized that she now had a stub. Her pencil, her very last pencil, was no longer than her thumb. Completely unsuitable for drawing anything. She couldn't hold it like she wanted or supposed to; she could barely hold it at all.

Tatsuhana scrambled for her bag in the vain hope that she might find another. Then, she remembered that on her birthday, she grabbed a smaller pencil case rather than the larger one that contained over two dozen pencils and erasers, not to mention a small ruler and possibly a protractor. She hadn't expected to fall into the feudal Japanese equivalent of a TARDIS. She found the pencil case she did pack, but found the contents woefully underwhelming, to say the least. Tatsuhana dumped the whole case into her lap and out tumbled more blunt pencils too short to sharpen. The nearest art supply store was probably five hundred-years in the making.

"Hey, Tatsuhana!" She deftly heard Kagome's greeting. "How's the art coming?"

Tatsuhana held up her stubby pencils, including the one she just broke. "How does it look like it's going?"

Inuyasha leaned over Kagome and took one look at Tatsuhana's collection of useless pencil.

"So what? Your fancy drawing sticks are broken?"

"Inuyasha, do not make me say the word!" Kagome chided. She then turned to Tatsuhana and offered a sad look. "Maybe you could learn a new medium?"

"But I _need_ pencils. I work with either pencils, chalk, or watercolor. I'm not a skilled enough for painting. I _need_ pencils."

"Maybe now you'll find something more useful to do rather than sit in the grass and draw all day," said Inuyasha, snidely.

Tatsuhana's hands tightened around her pencils. Her face grew red with anger.

"Listen here, buddy! I am an artist! I _need_ to create and if I don't, I will go insane and take all of you with me!" Tatsuhana took a deep breath. She stuffed her broken pencils into their case and seemed to collect herself. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"Easy there, we'll figure something out. Just try to relax." Kagome eased the broken pencils out of Tatsuhana's hands and stuffed them back where the sight could no longer offend her.

"I can't relax if I have nothing to create!"

The vein in Tatsuhana's forehead visibly throbbed. The stress of living five-hundred years into the past was slowly driving her mad. Kagome had the benefit of being used to all of the inconveniences of feudal Japan, although previously she'd been able to hop back and forth and fetch whatever she needed from the future. Tatsuhana had no such luxuries. Ink was out of the question for her as she hated the medium with a passion. All too often ink ended up everywhere except where she wanted it and no amount of scrubbing washed it off her hands. Paint was a little harder to come by in the days of expensive art supply chain stores. Being five-hundred years in the past and several thousands of miles away from where she could find traditional paints, made things even more difficult. Besides, she liked her pencils and charcoal.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Kagome offered.

With her pencils all broken and other medium to work with, Tatsuhana reluctantly agreed. Kagome left the pencil bag on top of the sketch book before she led Tatsuhana from the village. They walked all the way to the river and sat on the bank. Tatsuhana buried her face in her hand, massaging her temple.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she mumbled.

"It's really not that bad," said Kagome.

"Easy for you to say," Tatsuhana growled. "You've been living this life for a lot longer than I have. I was just starting to put my life together before any of this happened. I lost my parents less than a year ago. How am I supposed to handle this?"

"I'm very sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what it's like to have all of this dumped on you."

"No, no, you can't." Tatsuhana stood up and started climbing down the bank.

She got close enough to see her reflection in the slow-moving river. Dark circles were carved under her eyes and her cheeks were more hallow. She reeked despite taking a bath nearly every day. Not that it made much of a difference without the soap and shampoo she was used to. Her hair became more difficult to comb without conditioner. Some days it was easier just to not get out of bed at all. She stopped caring about pulling her own wait. She was certain Kagome pulled her aside to talk about that.

"There must be a reason why you're here. The well doesn't pull anyone to the past. It brought me here because of the Sacred Jewel. You're here because you're meant to find something or someone. Whatever your purpose is, you were brought here into the past for a reason."

Tatsuhana couldn't erase the scowl on her face. She let Kagome talk, but it only served to further sour her mood. She wasn't interested in talking about purposes and reasons; she wanted to go home. Tatsuhana climbed back up the riverbank, passed Kagome without stopping to glance her way, and walked alone. She heard Kagome call after her, but she didn't want to hear anything else.

She walked almost blindly, undecided to where she wanted to go. Somehow, she made her way to the Bone Eater's Well. Stepping up to its lip, Tatsuhana leaned over. She looked down and saw nothing but brick and dust at the very bottom. Swinging her legs over, Tatsuhana let herself drop. She shut her eyes tight in some vain hope that the bottom of the well would open up if she closed her eyes and prayed. Her feet slammed down hard; the pain rippled through her legs. The pain sent her to her knees. Moaning, Tatsuhana turned over onto her back. Tree branches and a bright blue sky loomed overhead.

"You still alive down there?"

Tatsuhana saw a blurry white head leaning over the side of the well. Groaning, she picked herself up out of the dirt. She groped the walls trying to find the ladder, found it, and started climbing.

"Geez, are you tryin' to kill yourself?" Inuyasha looked at her and regretted his question.

Thanks to the fall, she was now dusted from head to toe. He knew she hadn't gotten any sleep in the last few nights if those dark circles were anything to go by. He saw how little she ate. She made excuses, but he could hear her stomach growling from time to time. Tatsuhana didn't even try coming up with good comebacks anymore.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." Tatsuhana stood.

Dusting herself off, though it would take a dunk in the river to wash everything clean, Tatsuhana started making her way back to the village. Inuyasha walked not far behind.

"I can tell when somebody's lyin', you know," he said.

"That's nice."

Inuyasha growled. Tatsuhana wanted to put up a false front. It annoyed him. He didn't understand why she decided to slowly torture and malnourish herself. Self-harm and starvation wasn't going to improve her situation. Lying about it did nothing. Inuyasha leapt in front of her, blocking her path.

"Do you know that you're only hurting yourself?"

Tatsuhana knitted her brows close together. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Stifling her laugh to little success, Tatsuhana folded her arms across her chest and arched her brow. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Don't think that I don't see what you're doing. You barely eat; you barely sleep. Most days you can't be bothered to get out of bed until high noon. You're distant and even Rin's starting to notice you drifting away."

"And why do you think that is, Inuyasha? I'm trapped in the past, far from everything I once knew. I was almost _raped_ with an audience that included a small child. Give me a reason not to be more than a _little_ depressed."

"If you would just—" Inuyasha was cut off by the screaming that came from the village. He glanced behind him and then turned back to Tatsuhana. "We're not done yet."

His red kimono turned into a flashing blur as Inuyasha ran at break-neck speed towards the sounds. Tatsuhana ran after him. Oddly enough, the screaming stopped. A moment of terror captured her. Did a demon come back for revenge against Akio and slaughtered the village? Were they being raided again? She pushed her legs to their limit. By the time she reached the village, the people were huddled in groups, watching in awe and terror as a giant white snake curled up in the square as if minding its own business. The snake began to shrink in size and transform. Its serpentine body grew limbs, two arms and two legs. A human shape took its place.

Before them now stood a man with white hair and yellow eyes. His arm covered down to his wrist with a familiar snake tattoo. He carried no weapons, but only a leather pouch tied to the thin obi of his kimono. Inuyasha unsheathed his sword as he approached.

"What business do you have here?" He demanded of the snake demon.

"Nothing to do with you, half-breed. I'm merely looking for someone."

"Not on my watch, snake!" Inuyasha raised his sword.

Tatsuhana ran faster. She knew that man—er, demon. He had been kind to her once.

"Wait, you idiot. Don't attack!" Tatsuhana jumped in front of him before Inuyasha had the chance to swing his sword.

Inuyasha was barely able to stop his attack in time to avoid slicing Tatsuhana in half. He didn't sheath his sword just yet. Shouldering Tetseiga, Inuyasha tapped his foot while waiting for her explanation.

"What gives? You're suddenly defending demons who just drop by now?"

"It's nothing like that, Inuyasha," she turned to the snake demon, smiling like seeing an old friend. "Shiro, what are you doing here?"

"You know his name?" Inuyasha balked.

"Miss Hana, was it? I came across something while out hunting for food and I came across this." Shiro opened the pouch on his obi. His long fingers produced a rusty coin attached to two leather strips. "It carried your scent so I followed it here. I was hoping to return it to its proper owner."

Tatsuhana's eyes lit up. She gasped excitedly before snatching the necklace out of his hand. She quickly tied it around her neck. Her fingers pressed against the coin as if clutching a long, lost treasure.

"I thought I would never see it again. You don't know how much this means to me, Shiro!"

"This is much better than our first meeting. You're very pretty when you smile."

Tatsuhana blushed until she was red as a beet. "Um, thank you. W-would you like to stay for dinner? You know, since you went through all this trouble just to return my necklace."

She kind of regretted the request. The villagers huddled in cowering masses gasped at her suggestion. Shiro arched his brow at them and smirked.

"Don't worry. I don't eat red meat," said Shiro.

Tatsuhana's stomach dropped a little. _That's right. He's a demon_ , she thought. Somehow she forgot about that very important detail. She glanced behind her to see the villagers slowly backing away. Timidly, they returned to their regular duties but kept an eye on the snake demon.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I wouldn't want to offend our hosts any more than I already have. I should be on my way."

"Before you go, I have something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Asked Shiro.

"I've always wanted a piece of body art but could never afford it. I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of giving me my first tattoo." She tried not to stare at his face.

Shiro was handsome in a rebel-without-a-cause sort of way. Tatsuhana had no particular type when it came to men, but she could tell that Shiro would understand her problems from one artist to another. Usually, men fell into two types in art school, the incredibly eccentric and the art snobs. Neither one she felt attracted to. Shiro seemed to be a different story. She wanted to know more about him and his art.

"You know that tattoos are rather permanent, right? I don't want you to regret the decision of marking your body with something that's going to stick with you for the rest of your life."

"Of course, I know that. Though I doubt that anything you put on my body would make me regret it." Tatsuhana couldn't get the butterflies in her stomach to sit still. What made her more excited? Her first tattoo or getting to know Shiro?

Rubbing his chin, Shiro paused to think. "I'm currently working on a couple of designs right now. Stop by my place in about three days and I'll see if I can squeeze you in. We'll work out a payment plan then."

"Payment?" Her heart pounded. Right. She needed money to pay for things, which she didn't have.

"Well, yeah? You didn't expect that I'd do it for free, did you?"

Tatsuhana shook her head. "No, absolutely not. I just sort of realized I don't exactly have a lot of money right now."

"We'll work on it. See you in three days!" Shiro transformed back into a giant snake and slithered back into the forest.

* * *

It surprised everyone that Tatsuhana joined the dinner table without coaxing or cohersion. As a matter a fact, they stared as she helped herself to more food than she'd eaten in a week. Of course, rather than kill the streak of good luck, nobody said anything.

"Tatsuhana," said Kagome.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't thinking about earlier how you pencils broke. I was checking the chickens this afternoon and it reminded me of this recipe I came across. Do you think you can work with chalk made out of eggshells?"

Tatsuhana paused in her eating. She put aside her chopsticks a moment to think. "You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Maybe it'll help you sound less like a crazy art lady," Inuyasha scoffed.

Tatsuhana pouted. With her chopsticks, she flicked a bit of rice at him. Nobody else saw it and would never believe her to be so childish. Inuyasha stuck his tongue out her in retaliation and went back to stuffing his face.

* * *

Hidden by the shadows of the trees, Rin moved quickly out of sight. By lamplight, she made her way through the forest towards the designated spot Sesshomaru picked out for their meetings. Her little heart pounded against her ribs. In her small hand, she clutched Tatsuhana's sketchbook against her chest. It took some work to grab it when Tatsuhana wasn't looking. When she wasn't hunched over it, Tatsuhana kept it in her bag. Kagome kept it out of the way in case the well opened again to allow Tatsuhana to travel back to the future. First, Rin had to sneak into its hiding place without anyone noticing. The hardest part came with fetching it and putting it in place where Tatsuhana wouldn't suspect to find. Again, all without someone noticing. Tatsuhana put on some melodrama for everyone to notice and kept eyes off of Rin. She hid the notebook for safekeeping under a rock in the woods. She found it again by lamplight not long after everyone else fell asleep.

She crept through the woods, constantly looking behind her. Rin bit her lip as she approached the spot. In the distance between the trees, she saw Sesshomaru's impressive form standing out like a sore thumb in the dark. She saw him, but he didn't seem to notice her quite yet. Or, perhaps he was elsewhere.

His eyes looked long and hard into the shadows, looking away from her direction. He stared, almost unblinking. It was hard to see his features from the distance and in the dark, but Rin couldn't pin the face he wore now. Her Lord Sesshomaru appeared more distant than usual. He wasn't cold, but he was not here presently. Her nails dug into the cover of Tatsuhana's sketchbook.

She had grown to like Tatsuhana very much. The woman was very kind, strong, and brave. In some ways, she reminded Rin of Sesshomaru. Tatsuhana often had this look of stoic contemplation that made Rin hesitant to disrupt. Sesshomaru was like that sometimes too. It didn't feel right. Rin's stomach churned. When she entered the forest, her biggest fear wasn't demons or bandits or wolves. It was seeing Tatsuhana's disappointed face once she realized that Rin stolen something very precious to her.

Rin stood there with her toes sinking in the mud, debating about what to do. Should she disobey Lord Sesshomaru or should she respect Miss Hana's property and right to privacy? Rin couldn't take one step forward or one step backward. Sesshomaru made the decision for her.

"Rin?" He called out.

She had no choice but to come out. She sprinted into the clearing and came just close enough to Sesshomaru in order to hand over the stolen goods. He didn't extend his hand out as if waiting for Rin to obey. He waited for her to willing hand over the sketchbook. Rin did so with a twinge of guilt bubbling in her guts.

"Is this it?" He asked.

Rin nodded. How could it be otherwise? She never saw anything like it. Her blood pumped harder while she watched Sesshomaru deftly skim the parchment. He required no lamp as his demon eyes were all he needed to scan the pages. Flipping through the pages with care, he minded his claws as if handling the finest silk that would melt at the slightest touch. Her heart beat rapidly. His brows furrowed; he must have come to the pages where Tatsuhana had sketched his face.

Sesshomaru closed the sketchbook and tucked it under his armor. Rin said nothing as he guided her back to the village. She dared not ask what he intended to do with it now that he'd stolen it. He disappeared before she could gather up the courage to ask what he wanted it for. Rin slinked back into bed, no one wiser. She curled up under the blankets. Tatsuhana slept in the middle of the bed she shared with Kaede and Rin. At last, she seemed to sleep in peace after two weeks of night terrors and cold sweats. Rin wished she could find the same peace as she laid her head down next to hers. She slept on her side just to avoid Tatsuhana's sleeping form, guilt eating at her like maggots.


	18. Chapter 18

Ya'll are going to hate me after this. *evil cackling*

* * *

She was caught doing it again. Collecting useful plants and herbs, Tatsuhana walked along the outskirts of the village and humming to herself. It was such a one-eighty personality switch compared to the depressed individual a few days before. Not long after the snake demon, Shiro, arrived and left, Tatsuhana had packed a bag and disappeared into the forest for two days. Inuyasha was sent to make sure she was still alive, only to return with a black eye. Apparently, Tatsuhana didn't take it with generosity that he was simply looking out for her. He didn't speak of what he saw or Tatsuhana's state of being when he found her. Upon her arrival, her spirits were lifted as if the storm clouds that had shrouded her dissipated. Her night was now day.

"Miss Hana!" Rin came abounding with an armload of dark colored leaves, roots, and flowers. "Do think you'll find a use for these?"

Rin upheld her triumphant harvest for Tatsuhana's inspection. She picked through the shoots and leaves, first collecting all the vibrant flowers she could find and put them in her basket. She added the rest into a bag she carried on her back.

"Do you think she slept with him?" Inuyasha asked crudely.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was quick to upbraid him. "You do not talk about a lady like that!"

"It's true. Even if she did, which I'm not saying Miss Tatsuhana would, it is really not any of our business how she conducts herself. Her spirits have much improved since her visit to the snake demon's abode. Perhaps he was the correct shoulder she needed to cry on."

"Thank you, Miroku," said Kagome.

The three walked a distance behind Rin and Tatsuhana but watched from afar. Tatsuhana devoted most of her hours collecting plants and roots to experiment with. The egg shell chalk Kagome suggestion worked, however the colors were far too limited for Tatsuhana. She spent a great deal of her time experimenting to find the right shades.

"Yeah, but now she's all goo-goo eyes for some snake," Inuyasha grumbled.

"I'd rather her be goo-goo eyed and humming than sleeping until the afternoon. She's a lot happier since she made a new friend. You shouldn't judge her for it just because you managed to make her so mad she gives you a black eye." Kagome glanced at Inuyasha's profile.

He still sported a pretty shiner. Being true to form, Inuyasha never talked about the circumstances about his injury. He certainly wasn't going to tell everyone how he let a woman leave him with a black eye. It was bad enough being half-demon; he would never be taken seriously by the village if they knew what a woman did to him.

They followed behind Rin and Tatsuhana as the pair meandered into the woods. Tatsuhana paused and then stared at something. What had caught her attention? She steered off the trail with Rin not far away. When the others caught up, they saw an abandoned hut covered in vines and dead leaves. Tatsuhana stared at it. Did she have an idea for a painting? That would be since, however, there was the business of her missing sketchbook. Kagome helped her search for hours, but her sketchbook was nowhere to be found.

That was right around the same time Rin started to more actively hang around Tatsuhana. Unfortunately, Kagome didn't have more evidence than a suspicious feeling to support the little theory in her head. She wouldn't say anything until she had more proof. It made her wonder, though, why Rin would still the sketchbook in the first place.

All returned from their brisk walk. Tatsuhana set up a fire by Kaede's hut and started to boil a pot of water. Instead of herbs or soup, she threw in the various flowers she collected, sorted by color, and let them simmer. Rin helped her bottle them once Tatsuhana thought they were done stewing. In the long process of preparing the flowers to be made into paint, Tatsuhana let them dry first before storing them away. By then, the day was done. She helped make dinner, to the best of her abilities, and kept to herself throughout the meal.

"Miss Hana?" Asked Rin as she got under the covers.

Tatsuhana was busy brushing her long hair. Her hair had wicked tangles towards the bottom and pieces of grass stuck in it. How the grass got there, she couldn't say.

"Yes, Rin?"

"Do you like Shiro the snake demon?"

Tatsuhana turned her head away from Rin to hide the blush creeping into her cheeks.

"I guess, I do. A little. He's actually very nice once you get to know him. We talk a lot about art, so he makes me happy."

"Would you marry him?"

"Rin, ye mustn't talk that way," Kaede chastised her.

"I'm not offended." Tatsuhana returned to her brushing while keeping her back to the two of them. They shouldn't see the heat rising in her face.

Shiro had been nothing but a gentlemen in spite of anyone's misgivings. Tatsuhana had dated a couple of boys when she was younger, in high school, and again during her first and second year of college. At no time during the time she dated those boys did she feel the light fluttering in her stomach. Perhaps it was because Shiro was neither a boy nor a human. He was inhumanly handsome and mature. He knew about art, even though most of it was in the context of tattooing. Apparently, demons did not have the same apprehension towards tattoos as their human counterparts. Most their time together was spent rendering sketches of her potential first tattoo. It would be a painful process, using only traditional techniques, and it was obviously going to be permanent. Tatsuhana wanted to make sure she was going to be happy with the piece for a very long time.

She couldn't understand everyone's reluctance. Considering what had been done to her, Tatsuhana knew that she should be more careful. Yet, she couldn't help herself at the same time. Shiro was different. He was nice.

 _Well…_

He was more than nice. He was quite nearly perfect. If things continued as they did, Tatsuhana could imagine a future with him. As long as the well remained out of commission.

She slid into bed once her face returned to normal. Her eyelids slid closed and she fell asleep to the sound of crickets and cicadas.

* * *

Bare feet padded through the waves of grass. Lit by the light of the moon, a woman waded through the field. She carried with her a lacquered box tucked under her arm. Over gravel and rocks, she carried on to some unknown destination. Golden eyes peered out of the woods as if summoned by her strange presence. They followed her as she tread over dirt with her bare feet, uncaring if she hurt herself on sharp pebbles. She seemed unaffected by the rocks and walked slowly on.

Sesshomaru stepped out. He had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to Tatsuhana, but did not want to seek her out just yet. He'd slice through the first person to call him a coward, however, he thought of it as prudence. He didn't know how she would react and she lacked the knowledge in controlling her father's vast power buried in her blood. He followed her first by smell then he followed safely behind, though it didn't seem like it made much of a difference. Tatsuhana walked with a slow gait as if pulled along by an invisible string. Her shoulders were hunched forward and her head bent. Sesshomaru could not smell or sense another demon in the area. His half-brother's stench was all-pervasive throughout the village, but it wasn't strong enough to cloud Sesshomaru's sense of smell. His footsteps went undetected as he followed Tatsuhana to a shallow cave at the edge of the village. He watched her go in.

He went inside wondering what she would need from her. As a demon, he didn't need torch light see her. Her light-colored kimono spilt open to her knees while she sat on the ground. She mechanically opened the box and withdrew a roughly shaped cylinder twice the size of her finger. Sesshomaru stood at the cave entrance, nearly enthralled. She put it to the rock wall and slowly began marking it. He stepped closer for a better look. When he appeared at her back, Tatsuhana was too engrossed in her work to notice him. He stood behind her as she drew something in the rock. It took a short while before he could make out a man in armor. Though the artistic rendering was more in line with human pieces than based on physical appearance, Sesshomaru recognized the man in the portrait and the weapon he wielded.

The naginata of Lord Noburu was aptly named the Storm-Dancer. With it, the dragon lord summoned swells, cast down hail the size of skulls, and drowned entire villages. Tatsuhana had yet to make mention of any father in her life except the human who raised her. Rin assured him that Tatsuhana didn't know much about her past. If that was true, how was she able to draw a picture of him.

He'd seen the others in her sketchbook. Many of the pages were filled with strange images of buildings and stranger looking people. He flipped through those many pages before discovering a pattern. The first several were of this world Tatsuhana was sent to, but after a period something began to change. Her art became more fantastical. It showed glimpses of the world she once knew, of demons and spirits. Mostly symbolic, the appearance of a man and a woman started cropping up in the middle like a transitioning stage. Some of the sketches were smudged by fingerprints, some denoted their age with a date. He watched her sketch other figures into the cave wall.

Slowly, a battle scene came together by her talented hand. To one side, an army of familiar-looking demons. Banners of demon clans rippled in the wind. He even found his father standing behind Lord Noburu. The likeness was stunning, to be honest.

To the other side, another army charged forward. This one was less familiar. The clothes and armor belonged to Chinese demons. Foreign banners announced a conquering army and yet at the head of the charge was a woman. She wasn't even dressed as a man. She wore feminine robes under a set of armor, but that didn't mean she wasn't armed to the teeth. A sword and dagger on her belt and flames licking her feet, the woman upheld a strange sphere that emitted light or energy. The whole rendering was done in whitish chalk; Sesshomaru couldn't tell with any certainty what it was.

"Tatsuhana," he called.

She didn't respond. The only response he got was the gentle scraping of the chalk. Tatsuhana kept sketching as if she didn't hear him.

"Tatsuhana," Sesshomaru said again, this time more firmly.

Still, she didn't even look at him.

"Tatsuhana!" He raised his voice slightly.

Tatsuhana would not be disturbed in her endeavor.

Sesshomaru growled. One step was all it took to be directly at her back. He clamped one hand on her shoulder and forced her to look at him.

Tatsuhana's eyes were blank. He could not find where the pupil and the iris ended as if she was put into a trance. Her lips were parted slightly. Kneeling next to her, Sesshomaru cupped her face between his hands. Her arms fell limp at her sides, but she clutched the chalk tight in her fingers. Her breath was slow, however he took comfort in the fact that it was steady. His claws gently scraped her cheeks yet she still showed no reaction.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

He'd done it before. When they were children growing up in his father's house. His mother was less than pleased when she found out.

Sesshomaru latched his mouth unto hers in the hope of her snapping. He pressed his lips to hers. A peck, at first, to see if she noticed. When her face remained the same, he kissed her harder. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip and teeth.

No reaction.

Sesshomaru let go. He stood back and watched her mechanically return to her drawing. Taking up a seat on the opposite wall, Sesshomaru watched her until the night sky slowly gave way to dawn. The sun was starting to rise when Tatsuhana finally put down her chalk. Her eyes fluttered, closed, and she collapsed. Her body fell to the side as if she had been suddenly knocked out by a blow to the head. Sesshomaru caught her before she could hurt herself on the harsh cave floor. He left behind the box and chalk as he picked her up.

The villagers were still fast asleep by the time he reached the priestess's hut. He slid the door open without alerting those inside. He managed to find the shared bedroll and slipped Tatsuhana back underneath the covers. Sesshomaru was about to leave when he noticed Rin stirring. She turned on her side and saw him there. She about jumped up and call for him. Sesshomaru made a sign with his finger to his mouth then pointed to the exhausted Tatsuhana. Rin clamped her hand over her mouth and nodded. He stalked back out of the hut just as Rin snuggled up to Tatsuhana's back.

* * *

The first thing Tatsuhana noticed when she awoke was the horrid cramp in her neck and shoulders. Peeling off the covers, the second thing she noticed was the dirt on her knees and feet. She looked closely and found tiny scraps with dried blood on her feet like she spent the night walking on broken glass. Her knees were bruised blue and green and smudged with dirt. Her hands were much the same way. Instead of blood, her fingers were marked with a copious amount of white chalk atop specks of dirt. She fixed her kimono and stepped outside to look for Kagome.

She was busy with laundry at the river, scrubbing some unknown stain from Inuyasha's red robe. The water dyed red as she plunged it over and over into the river. Tatsuhana tried not to balk at the sight.

"Kagome, are you busy?"

She paused in her washing and placed the robe on a near-by rock. "What is—"

Kagome looked Tatsuhana's appearance. The dirt, the chalk, the mess that was her hair, and the dark circles under her eyes.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

"That's the same question I asked myself when I woke up. I think, I think I went somewhere but I don't remember. I've never sleepwalked before."

"Are you alright?"

"I think so. I'm just wondering where I went," Tatsuhana took a deep breath, "I'm a little worried. I don't remember what I was doing all night while I was sleep walking."

"It's okay. We'll figure it out. Have a seat. I need to finish this first."

Later, Kagome talked Inuyasha into following Tatsuhana's scent from the night before. He was begrudging as always. He started sniffing from Kaede's hut and followed the trail Tatsuhana left with her tiny blood specks. He followed the trail up to a shallow cave. Tatsuhana's brows furrowed as she became very cross with herself.

"Why did I walk all the way out here?" Tatsuhana asked of herself.

The three of them, Inuyasha, who had already ducked inside the cave, Kagome, and Tatsuhana entered. The trail ended at a cave wall.

"I think I see something on the wall," said Inuyasha. He pressed his face close, squinting at the rock.

Kagome approached the wall and looked intently. Unfortunately, her human eyes couldn't make out the image in a dark cave.

"I can almost see it, but it's too dark in here."

"I'll be back." Inuyasha sped out of the cave and returned after almost half an hour with a lantern. He lit it and held it aloft for them to see.

Kagome gasped as the lamplight shined over the battle scene sketched into the rock. Despite the craggy surface, the cave wall depicted two armies approaching each other in white chalk. Tatsuhana stared at the drawing then looked at her hands.

"Did I draw this?" Her murmur echoed despite how quiet she kept her voice.

The intricate details, the historical armor and costuming, the grotesque faces, all in a style Tatsuhana didn't paint or draw in. She remembered going to sleep, but what happened when she slumbered. A familiar-looking box of chalk lay at the feet of general wearing Chinese armor. Tatsuhana walked over and took it, then backed away from the mural as if afraid that the chalk drawing would come to life.

"Hey, look, Inuyasha! This one kind of looks like you!" Kagome pointed out a male figure behind the demon general charging at the front of the lines.

Inuyasha squinted. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you coming?"

Tatsuhana tore her eyes away from the mural. Kagome and Inuyasha had already moved to the mouth of the cave. She hadn't realized that she had been staring at the mural until her eyes watered as soon as she saw light pouring into the cave. She blinked and scrunched her eyes almost to a close while making her way out. Inuyasha extinquished the lamp and the three ventured back to the village.

"What were you dreaming about? Maybe that might explain the mural?" Kagome suggested.

Tatsuhana shook her head. "No. I don't think that's it. I don't remember dreaming at all. I think I would remember dreaming about a big battle scene like that. It's weird though."

"What is?" Asked Kagome.

"The two main figures, the ones at the front of the armies. The man and woman. They remind me…of my foster parents for some reason. But that can't be right. My mom and dad…they didn't look anything those people in the mural and they were definitely human, and yet I can't shake this feeling that I'm forgetting something…"

Tatsuhana let her thoughts take her far away from the village. She returned her precious art supplies back home and put them away for safekeeping. She washed the dirt, blood, and chalk off her feet and hands. Returning to Kaede's hut, Tatsuhana spent the rest of the day staring out into nothing, sitting on the veranda out back.

* * *

"What do you think, Kaede?" Kagome finished telling the elderly priestess everything that conspired that morning.

Kaede hummed to herself, thinking. It was very uncertain whether or not Tatsuhana herself was a demon. The extraordinary show of power over the elements pointed in one direction, but when she came to, Tatsuhana remembered nothing of the incident. According to both Myoga and Totosai, it would take tremendous will power and spiritual energy to combat, let alone overcome, a curse-mark like Akio's. The storm that Tatsuhana unconsciously summoned, Totosai explained while she was unconscious for almost a week, was the result of highly intensified emotional state. There was little room to doubt that it was Tatsuhana who brought the wind, rain, and hail out of season to that tiny village. The moment she began to doubt herself, that power slipped out of her hands; it disappeared.

Tatsuhana's mysterious drawings and lack of memories also made things difficult. She did not remember where she came from, but somehow knew she was not born in the future. She didn't remember much of anything beyond arriving at that house where the older couple took her in and raised her. Kaede remembered Tatsuhana explaining how for two years she was confused by the modern convienceces of the twenty-first century as if experiencing them for the first time. It was as if she had been raised in a world completely devoid of those things. She had to learn everything about the world before quickly growing out of it.

Her draws were yet another matter. There were landscapes and portraits of the future, but then there were more _bizarre_ things in her sketchbook she seemed to be nervous about showing. Kaede never got a chance to glimpse through it and respected Tatsuhana's privacy. However, considering the mural they discovered in the cave, Kaede wished she had stolen the chance when she had it. Perhaps one of those drawings held a clue to who and what Tatsuhana really was.

"Miss Tatsuhana is a very strange creature. I cannot say one way or another how ye must proceed, except with caution."

"Do you think there is a way to somehow…I don't…restore her memories? What if there's something in her childhood before she was adopted? What if there's something hidden there that can help sort this all out?"

"If I suspect rightly, then I do not know. If Miss Tatsuhana is in fact a demon, I know not how to restore a demon's memory."

"That's too bad," Kagome sighed, "It would help her so much just to remember."

* * *

Tatsuhana nestled in a comfortable spot on the hill. In her lap was a blank scroll, one that Miroku gifted her when her sketchbook turned up missing. Next to her was the box of homemade chalk. Her horse, the very same one taken from the brothel, was quite comfortable with her drawing him on the scroll. He got some good grass out of the deal and ate whatever he desired of the wild field. She huffed now and then while her hands worked to render the image. She didn't know what to call him just yet, in case some irate lord comes looking for his stolen horse. Kaze or Sugureta (excellent) were fitting, but she liked the name Anzen-sei, which meant safety.

She drew him partially out of boredom and partially to escape a bombardment of questions. She took Anzen-sei for a walk up to this steep hill where he could graze and Tatsuhana could get away. The veins in her forehead throbbed. Finishing one of the drawing's legs, Tatsuhana wiped the sweat from her brow. High noon, the sun reached its peak of power, beating down on her. She cursed herself for not bringing some water to drink with her.

Putting aside her calk for a moment to stretch her fingers, Tatsuhana noticed a slithering in the grass, edging towards her. Anzen-sei was too busy grazing to be startled by the intruder. The wild grass parted around a silver-white snake with a piece of paper tied to its back by some red string. Tatsuhana smiled, blushing a little. She waited until the snake crawled up beside her and gave her hand a little nudge. Anju was a lesser demon that Shiro took care of. She wasn't anything like him or many of the other demons Tatsuhana had encountered. That did not make her any less dangerous. Though she was small in girth, Anju was longer than Tatsuhana was tall. Anju could strangle a man twice her size. Tatsuhana petted Anju's chin, earning an affectionate tongue flick. Eagerly, Tatsuhana freed Anju of her burden.

She had been carrying two parchments. One a letter from Shiro. The second was a painting like none Tatsuhana had ever seen before. Shiro had painted a woman with flowing robes and her hair dancing in the wind with chrysanthemum petals. Beneath her feet, she trod on the back of a fierce tiger. The tiger reared its ugly head back at the woman riding its back, bulging eyes almost surging out of their sockets. The painted lady showed no signs of fear or panic as would be appropriate. Shiro painted her face with a look of serenity; she was secure in her prowess. All of the colors were rendered so splendidly, Tatsuhana found herself staring at the artistry for what felt like ages.

Anju slithered back into the forest to return to her master and caretaker. Tatsuhana looked at the drawing of her horse and frowned. A piece of art like Shiro's deserved something of equal value. Despite working on Anzen-sei's portrait for almost an hour, Tatsuhana pulled the scroll further ahead to a blank spot untouched by greasy fingerprints or chalk. An image filled her imagination to the point where she would kill herself if she never put it down on paper. Something that only Shiro could appreciate. And so, she began to draw like mad.

It was finally sunset when the light started to fail her and she couldn't draw anymore. Not unless she found a lamp somewhere. Anzen-sei flopped down in the middle of the field, napping. Just as she began packing her things, Tatsuhana heard a set of footprints approaching her. At first, she thought it was Kagome come to check on her. But no. It wasn't Inuyasha either. He tended to have very heavy footsteps wherever he clomped around on his bare feet.

"Um, hi."

Tatsuhana stood face to face with Sesshomaru, the infamous and legendary. He walked with purpose towards her but none of his features told her what kind of mood he was in. He wore the same stoic face. Nothing different, nothing new, she doubted Sesshomaru would ever surprise her.

Sesshomaru glanced around the field. "What are you doing all the out here?"

"I was originally out here sketching Anzen-sei over there," Tatsuhana jutted her thumb towards her horse, "But then I started on a new project. Do you want to see?"

It couldn't have hurt to ask. She knew the answer even as it passed from her lips and into the air. Still, if she was ever going to get some kind of reaction from him, she might as well take any opportunity it came from.

"No."

Oh well. At least it was some reaction.

Tatsuhana shrugged her shoulders at his reply. She packed her things away and taking great care of Shiro's letter and painting.

"I heard from Rin that you have formed a _friendship_ with Shiro."

"Yes, I have. What's it to you?"

"It would be best for your sake if you followed this one's advice and stayed away. You do not know Shiro or his motives."

"I think I can find out on my own, thank you," she scoffed. Tatsuhana fit everything back into the saddle bag and climbed into the saddle. " _This one_ thanks you for the advice, however it isn't necessary."

Anzen-sei started for the village. Tatsuhana heard Sesshomaru say, "Do not say I did not warn you." She turned her head, however he had already vanished as was his custom. Tatsuhana returned in time for dinner, though she made no mention of Shiro's letter or Sesshomaru's cryptic warning.


End file.
